The KT Wiz of the Korea Baseball Organization have come to an agreement with right-hander Beau Sulser for the 2023 season, the team announced (h/t to Dan Kurtz of MYKBO.net). He’ll receive a $740K guarantee.
Sulser, 28, made his major league debut this past season. After six seasons climbing the minor league ladder in Pittsburgh, he cracked the Pirates roster in April. He made four appearances out of the bullpen before being designated for assignment, eventually landing with the Orioles on waivers. Sulser would be called upon six more times by Baltimore, working as a long reliever at both stops. Between the two clubs, he combined for a 3.63 ERA through his first 22 1/3 MLB innings.
The Dartmouth product struck out 19.2% of opponents on just an 8.7% swinging strike rate. That led the O’s to DFA him themselves despite his decent ERA at the end of the season. He landed back with his original organization via waiver claim, but Pittsburgh placed him on waivers yet again when setting the 40-man roster to keep prospects out of the Rule 5 draft. This time, he went unclaimed and was sent outright to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Evidently, the Bucs are granting Sulser his release to pursue the opportunity in South Korea. That’ll allow the former 10th-round draftee to secure the strongest guaranteed salary of his career. The $740K figure is a bit above the MLB minimum salary and well north of what Sulser would’ve made had he spent next season either entirely at Triple-A or, in all likelihood, even shuttling back and forth between Pittsburgh and Indianapolis had he pitched his way back onto the 40-man roster.
While Sulser came out of the bullpen for all 10 big league outings, he’s worked both as a starter and reliever in the minors. Sulser started 24 games at Indianapolis in 2021 and picked up six starts in 20 Triple-A appearances this year. Presumably, the Wiz plan to give him a crack in the rotation. They’re coming off an 80-62-2 season that placed them fourth out of the league’s 10 teams.
Better than Joely Rodriguez TBH
So exciting omg
I’m the WIZ! Nobody beats me.
Plop, plop,
fizz, fizz,
Oh what a reliever he is.
More seriously, I believe that Beau is Cole’s younger brother.
I don’t know if KT stands for Korea Telephone or not but it is a big telephone company and enables fans to see great views of plays on their cell phones.
MannyBeingFunny.
You’re telling me the pirates have at least 13 better pitchers than this guy? I highly doubt that.
It was the money….
D-The Pirates have 20 of the 21 who are better or show more promise.Sulser is like a lot of fringe ML pitchers who may do reasonably well if given an extended chance but is not impressive enough evidently to be given that chance.
I thought that he was a decent pitcher but BC has been collecting young relief pitchers and needed the roster space.
He would be a good depth pitcher but the Pirates are giving him the courtesy of releasing him so that he can pitch in Korea.
These guys often hop around to whatever team has roster space and I think that it would be very difficult to become relaxed at any stop.Other teams have just filled their rosters so no one has shown interest so he wants to gain some traction in Korea for an eventual return to MLB.
Cheez Wiz should sponsor them..
Is it me or does the player’s name sound like it’s straight out of an 80’s adult film?
Mandatory all hot dogs at the stadium have Cheez Wiz slathered on them.
Ewwwww….
Yuuuuum Clip!! Haha Maybe not Wiz…But I get nacho cheese for my hot dogs and pretzels every game I go to hahaha
Okay, you did it! Now I am getting up and getting a snack. You’re testing the limits of my six pack, Trumbo.
Don’t start Clip! I’ve been on the verge of walking down the street to get tacos for an hour now! And when I say “down the street” I mean 80 yards.
Do it! I’m getting ready to down some teriyaki beef jerky, milk, and pistachio nuts.
And Happy Thanksgiving, man!
Was about to tell you the same Clip!!!! Hope you have a good one my friend. And that is a heck of a combo…Sounds similar to my Funyuns, White Cheddar popcorn, and bottled Mexican Coke I had post-dinner.
Between Yankee and Trumbo, I remembered to give my thanks. My son and I just ate peanut butter toast and cantaloupe for breakfast and washed it down with fresh OJ.
Hahahahah Happy Turkey Day to you as well Manny. That is as solid a breakfast as any!
Excuse me while I take a wiz
You gotta order the wiz a special way in Philly
Philadelphia cream cheese?
Who?
If they hired Ozzie Guillen to be their manager, would he be the wonderful Oz of Wiz?
That is a distinct possibility
Good name for a white claw like product. Beau Sulser’s Hard Seltzer
Steve, gotta say, that has a heck of a ring to it…Get the patent attorney on the horn first thing tomorrow. It’s a winner!
Well now, who needs Judge, Verlander, deGrom & the big 4 SS’s when you have news like this!
Such riveting content you felt the need to comment on it
Good opportunity for this guy! Glad he’ll get a payday and a chance to pitch regularly. Young enough to come back in his early thirties and get another opportunity like others have in recent years.
I know that the whole city of Pittsburgh is devastated that Sulser will not be part of their 2023 drive to the pennant!
Yeah, Pirates have almost 170 million they can spend without hitting luxury tax threshold for 2023!
Aaron Judge 35 mil 9 yrs
Trea Turner 31 mil 9 yrs
Justin Turner 10 mil 1 yr
Will Myers 8 mil 1 yr
Brian Anderson 5 mil 2 yrs
Carlos Rodon 31 mil x 5 yrs
Justin Verlander 43 mil x 3 yrs
The Sheriff 7 mil x 2 years
We will not know for nine years for sure but how many of these guys will be worth the money for nearly the entire contract?
We mostly know. Almost none of them. In a nine year contract, you hope to get surplus value the first three years, actual value the middle three, and take a loss the last three.
Like for Judge, you could offer
Years 1-3 45 mil
Years 4-6 35 mil
Years 7-9 25 mil
And it might better represent expectations
Manny- You may very well be accurate.But with Judge,and he being such a huge man,it may be more like 45,40,35,30,25,20,15,10,5.
That is why these very long term contracts can stymie every team except the very richest.
Out of all this the only thing that stuck out to me is that there are ties in the KBO