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KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes Not Re-Signing Addison Russell, Jake Brigham

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The Korea Baseball Organization’s Kiwoom Heroes will not pursue new contracts with infielder Addison Russell or right-hander Jake Brigham, the team announced (h/t to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO). However, the Heroes are planning to try and re-sign southpaw Eric Jokisch, Kurtz relays.

Russell, 27 in January, is the most well-known of the three. A former top prospect and the Cubs’ starting shortstop during their 2016 World Series season, Russell served a 2018 domestic violence suspension after former wife Melisa Reidy detailed serious allegations of abuse. Between the suspension and dwindling on-field productivity, he didn’t find a particularly robust market upon being non-tendered by Chicago last offseason. The Heroes brought Russell aboard in June, but he mustered an underwhelming .254/.317/.336 line with just two home runs across 271 plate appearances.

Brigham only saw brief big league action with the 2015 Braves but had spent the past four seasons with the Heroes. After posting a 2.96 ERA in 2019, the 32-year-old put up a 3.62 mark this past season. Brigham’s strikeout rate improved to a career-best level in 2020, but his walk rate has gotten progressively higher during each KBO season.

Jokisch was far and away the Heroes’ most productive pitcher last season. He led the team with 159.2 innings of 2.14 ERA ball, winning the league’s ERA title. It’s little surprise the Seoul-based club wants to keep him in the fold, but the 31-year-old has also caught the attention of some MLB teams and could consider a return stateside.

Which Former MLB Players Are Getting Ready To Play In The KBO?

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The Korea Baseball Organization is set to open its regular season on May 5, without fans in attendance, and is already in the midst of its second preseason training camp. There have been reported talks to bring KBO games to a North American audience, although at this point there’s no deal in place to allow MLB fans to tune in broad-reaching, accessible fashion.

Still, as baseball-starved fans hope for some ability to monitor those games, it seems worth a rundown of which former big leaguers will be suiting up in the KBO for fans around the world to follow — even if it’s in box scores and highlight clips only. Here’s a look at some names you might recognize in the 10-team league (with a hefty tip of the cap to the indispensable MyKBO.net and MyKBOstats.com)…

Doosan Bears (2019 record: 88-55-1)

  • Jose Miguel Fernandez, 1B/DH: The 32-year-old Fernandez was a notable signing out of Cuba by the Dodgers but never got a look with his original club. He latched on with the 2018 Angels and appeared in 36 games before heading to the KBO, where he posted a massive .344/.409/.483 slash even in a year that saw a leaguewide decrease in offense.
  • Raul Alcantara, RHP: Alcantara, 27, pitched with the Athletics in 2016-17. He notched a 4.01 ERA in 172 2/3 with the KT Wiz in Korea last season before inking a deal with the Bears this past winter.
  • Chris Flexen, RHP: Flexen struggled with the Mets from 2017-19 before signing up for his first overseas stint this past season. He had some success with the Mets’ Triple-A club and averaged a strikeout per inning at that level.

SK Wyverns (88-55-1)

  • Nick Kingham, RHP: The longtime Pirates top prospect never put it together in 131 2/3 big league innings, but he’s still just 28 years old. He’ll be an interesting name to monitor with regard to a future return.
  • Ricardo Pinto, RHP: The 26-year-old spent time with the Phillies, Rays and Giants organizations but struggled in limited MLB time.
  • Jamie Romak, 1B: The 33-year-old Romak only has 39 MLB plate appearances on his track record, but he’s become a consistent offensive force in the KBO, hitting .283/.376/.544 in three seasons with the Wyverns.

Kiwoom Heroes (86-57-1)

  • ByungHo Park, 1B: Park’s big free-agent deal with the Minnesota Twins didn’t pan out, but he’s posted an OPS north of 1.000 since returning to the Heroes two seasons ago.
  • Taylor Motter, INF/OF: The versatile 30-year-old didn’t hit much in 141 MLB games between the Rays, Mariners and Twins. He’ll hope for an overseas breakout in 2020.
  • Jake Brigham, RHP: Brigham, 32, only got a brief look with the 2015 Braves, but he’s entering his fourth KBO season — his second with the Heroes. In a total of 501 1/3 KBO innings, he’s posted a 3.72 ERA with 7.2 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9.
  • Eric Jokisch, LHP: An encouraging 2014 stint with the Cubs (three runs in 14 1/3 innings) never led to another MLB look for Jokisch, who bounced around the Triple-A circuit before turning in an impressive 3.13 ERA and 141-to-39 K/BB ratio in 181 1/3 frames in last year’s KBO debut.

LG Twins (79-64-1)

  • Hyun-Soo Kim, OF: The former Oriole and Phillie returned to the KBO after a two-year MLB stint in 2016-17, signing a four-year, $10.7MM deal with LG. The “Hitting Machine,” as he was nicknamed in the KBO, posted an OPS north of 1.000 in his return and has largely picked up where he left off.
  • Casey Kelly, RHP: The one-time star Red Sox prospect is now 30 years old and fresh off a 2.55 ERA, 6.3 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 through 180 1/3 innings in his first KBO season.
  • Tyler Wilson, RHP: Wilson, also 30, floundered through 145 innings with the Orioles before finding himself with the LG Twins, for whom he’s tossed 355 innings with a 2.99 ERA, 7.3 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9.
  • Roberto Ramos, 1B: One of the few players on this list who never appeared in the Majors, the 25-year-old Ramos is a former Rockies prospect who signed on for his first season of Asian ball after hitting .309/.400/.580 in Triple-A last year.

NC Dinos (73-69-2)

  • Aaron Altherr, OF: One of the more recognizable names on the list, Altherr at times looked like a budding star with the Phillies. He fizzled out after some notable injuries, though, and is will make his KBO debut at 29 this year.
  • Mike Wright, RHP: Another former O’s hurler, Wright appeared in parts of five seasons with Baltimore. He had his share of success in Triple-A (3.76 ERA) but regularly struggled in the big leagues (6.00 ERA in 258 frames). He’s making his KBO debut this season as well.
  • Drew Rucinski, RHP: The 31-year-old saw time with the Angels, Twins and most recently the Marlins (2018). He returns to the Dinos after pitching 177 2/3 frames of 3.05 ERA ball in 2019 (6.0 K/9, 2.3 BB/9).

KT Wiz (71-71-2)

  • Odrisamer Despaigne, RHP: The 2020 season will be the first in the KBO for the 33-year-old Despaigne — a six-year MLB veteran who has tallied 363 innings in the big leagues.
  • Jae-Gyun Hwang, 3B: The (San Francisco) Giants signed Hwang back in 2017 but never gave him a long look despite a memorable home run in his MLB debut. He’s a productive regular in the KBO once again, having signed a four-year, $7.9MM deal with the Wiz prior to the 2018 season.
  • Mel Rojas Jr., OF: The 29-year-old Rojas never got a chance with the Pirates or Braves, and he’s now one of the KBO’s top hitters. In three seasons with the Wiz, Rojas has mashed at a .310/.377/.561 clip. He’s hit 30 homers in consecutive seasons.
  • William Cuevas, RHP: Cuevas, 29, got a cup of coffee with both the Red Sox and Tigers before jumping to the KBO and posting a 3.62 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 184 innings last year.

Kia Tigers (62-80-2)

  • Preston Tucker, OF: The former Astros prospect had a hot start with the ’18 Braves but faded quickly. He’s set for a second season with the Tigers after hitting .311/.381/.479 in last year’s debut effort.
  • Aaron Brooks, RHP: Brooks, 30 next week, pitched for the A’s, Royals and O’s between 2014-19 but struggled to a 6.49 ERA in 179 2/3 innings. He’s set for his KBO debut.
  • Drew Gagnon, RHP: A third-round pick of the Brewers in 2011, Gagnon saw MLB action with the Mets in 2018-19 but performed poorly. He had a bit 2019 season in Triple-A (2.33 ERA in 88 2/3 innings), which helped attract interest overseas.

Samsung Lions (60-83-1)

  • Seunghwan Oh, RHP: Oh enjoyed a quality four-year run with the Cardinals, Blue Jays and Rockies before undergoing elbow surgery last summer and heading back to the Lions, for whom he starred for nine seasons as one of the best relievers in league history (a tenure that earned him his incredible “Final Boss” nickname).
  • Tyler Saladino, INF: The former White Sox utilityman saw MLB time with the Brewers in 2018-19 and now heads to South Korea for the first time at 30 years of age.
  • David Buchanan, RHP: Buchanan hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since a 2014-15 run with the Phillies. He’s spent the past three seasons with Japan’s Yakult Swallows, working to a 4.07 ERA in 433 innings — mostly working as a starter.
  • Ben Lively, RHP: A prospect of some note for a bit with the Phillies, Lively had a solid MLB debut in ’17 but never further established himself. He gave the Lions 57 innings of 3.95 ERA ball after signing midseason in 2019.

Hanwha Eagles (58-86)

  • Jared Hoying, OF: Hoying barely got a look with the Rangers in 2016-17, but he’s compiled a .296/.355/.519 slash in two seasons with the Eagles so far.
  • Warwick Saupold, RHP: The Aussie hurler managed a 4.98 ERA in three seasons with the Tigers before taking his 80-grade name to the KBO. In last year’s 192-inning debut, he logged a 3.51 ERA.
  • Chad Bell, LHP: Bell and Saupold were teammates with the Tigers. Both debuted in the KBO last year, and Bell’s 3.50 ERA is a near-identical match to his longtime teammate.

Lotte Giants (48-93-3)

  • Dan Straily, RHP: The most accomplished pitcher on this list, Straily racked up 495 1/3 innings of 4.03 ERA ball with the Reds and Marlins from 2016-18 before his production fell off a cliff in 2019. He’ll hope to rebound on a one-year, $1MM deal with the Giants.
  • Dae-ho Lee, 1B: The 37-year-old slugger came to the Majors for one season with the 2016 Mariners before returning to Korea on a four-year, $12.9MM contract that represented the largest deal in KBO history at the time. Lee’s bat faded in 2019, but he mashed 37 homers with a .987 OPS in 2018.
  • Adrian Sampson, RHP: The 31-year-old comes to the Giants for his own KBO debut with a solid Triple-A track record but an ugly 5.71 ERA in 153 MLB innings.
  • Dixon Machado, INF: Yet another former Tiger, Machado spent 2019 with the Cubs’ Triple-A club, where he hit .261/.371/.480 before agreeing to a deal with Lotte this winter.

Minor MLB Transactions: 12/8/19

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The latest minor moves from around the baseball world…

  • The Kiwoom Heroes of South Korea’s KBO League announced that righty Jake Brigham has been re-signed to a new contract (hat tip to Jee-Ho Yoo of Yonhap News).  Brigham, who turns 32 in February, will earn $950K in guaranteed salary in the one-year deal, with more money available in incentives.  After nine seasons in the minors (and 12 MLB games with the Braves in 2015), Brigham has spent the last four years pitching abroad, with one season in Japan, and the last three in the KBO League with the Heroes.  2019 saw Brigham impress by posting a 2.96 ERA, 2.83 K/BB rate, and 7.4 K/9 over 158 1/3 innings.

Former Big Leaguers Playing Abroad: KBO Pitcher Roundup

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It’s always fun to keep an eye on familiar players who’ve taken their talents across the pond. Now that the 2019 season is in the books, it seemed an opportune time to check in. Numerous former big leaguers are playing abroad, many of them thriving in Asia’s top leagues.

We’ve seen foreign stints help spur big league revivals from quite a few players. Eric Thames, Miles Mikolas, and Chris Martin are among those that played significant roles in the 2019 MLB campaign. Whether any of the players covered below will do so remains to be seen, but there’s certainly a path.

We started by looking at position players in the Korea Baseball Organization, the top league in South Korea. Remember, teams in the KBO and other leagues face limits on the number of non-native players they can employ. That creates a lot of pressure to secure big production from those roster spots, and often spurs mid-season change.

Now, we’ll check in on KBO’s hurlers. (Statistics courtesy of the always excellent MyKBO.)

  • The LG Twins made out like bandits with Tyler Wilson and Casey Kelly. The former, who once had a three-season run with the Orioles, spun 185 frames of 2.92 ERA ball in his second strong KBO effort. The latter, a former first-round pick and veteran of four MLB campaigns, was even more effective, with a 2.55 ERA in his 180 1/3 innings despite a less-than-impressive 126:41 K/BB ratio.
  • But neither of those hurlers took the foreign hurler ERA crown. That went to Josh Lindblom of the Doosan Bears, who has carved out a prominent career in Korea and was at his finest in 2019. Over 194 2/3 frames, he worked to a 2.50 ERA with 189 strikeouts against just 29 free passes. Doosan’s other out-of-town pitcher, Seth Frankoff (a one-appearance MLB veteran), spun 117 1/3 frames of 3.61 ERA ball.
  • Righty Angel Sanchez pitched great for the SK Wyverns in his second season with the club. The former Pirates hurler sported a 2.62 ERA in 165 innings. Teammate Henry Sosa, a former Astro turned KBO stalwart, threw 94 1/3 frames of 3.82 ERA ball. Another strong combination was formed by the Kiwoom (formerly Nexen) Heroes. Eric Jokisch posted a 3.13 ERA in thirty starts while Jake Brigham went for a 2.96 mark in 28 outings.
  • The Hanwha Eagles also got a nice 1-2 effort from a pair of former (Detroit) Tigers hurlers. Righty Warwick Saupold went for 192 1/3 innings of 3.51 ERA pitching, while southpaw Chad Bell notched a 3.50 ERA in his 177 1/3 frames of work. Another duo — Athletics alum Raul Alcantara and former Red Sox/Tigers hurler William Cuevas — was solid but unexceptional with the KT Wiz. The former worked to a 4.01 ERA while the latter checked in at 3.62 earned per nine.
  • The NC Dinos received strong output from right-hander Drew Rucinski, who was pitching his first season in the KBO after jumping around with several MLB organizations in recent years. He logged 177 1/3 innings of 3.05 ERA ball. Eddie Butler lost his spot with the Dinos after 13 marginal outings, with the club replacing him with fellow former Rockies hurler Christian Friedrich. The new southpaw proved a better fit, working to a 2.75 ERA over 72 frames over a dozen starts after being plucked from the indy ball ranks.
  • The Samsung Lions parted ways with Justin Haley and Deck McGuire after watching them combine for forty starts with more than five earned per nine. Fellow righty Ben Lively was better after he came over, throwing 57 innings with a 3.95 ERA and 58 strikeouts.
  • The KIA Tigers struggled to get consistent results from their foreign hurlers. Former MLB righties Jacob Turner (5.46 ERA in 153 1/3 innings) and Joe Wieland (4.75 ERA in 165 innings) both disappointed.
  • Likewise, Jake Thompson failed to make good on his chance with the Lotte Giants, providing them 62 2/3 innings of 4.74 ERA ball before he was cut loose. Lotte received better work from Brooks Raley (181 innings, 3.88 ERA) and Brock Dykxhoorn (149 1/3 innings, 4.34 ERA).

KBO/NPB Signings: Sands, Brigham, Jokisch, Wilson, Kelly, Neal, Hoying

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Some updates on former big leaguers headed to play in Asia….

Latest News

  • The KBO’s Nexen Heroes have re-signed outfielder Jerry Sands and right-hander Jake Brigham, as per San Kang of Sports Dong-A on Twitter (hat tip to MyKBO.net’s Dan Kurtz).  Left-hander Eric Jokisch has also signed with the team.  According to a follow-up tweet from Kurtz, Brigham will earn $900K in salary and incentives, while Sands and Jokisch will each receive $500K from the Heroes.  Sands just joined the Heroes back in August, after 11 seasons in North America that saw him appear in 156 MLB games with the White Sox, Indians, Rays, and Dodgers.  Brigham will return to Nexen for the third straight season, after pitching in Japan with the Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2016.  Jokisch was an 11th-round pick for the Cubs in 2010 who has bounced around the minors since getting his only taste of Major League action (14 1/3 IP) with Chicago in 2014.  The southpaw has a 3.71 ERA, 7.1 K/9, and 2.53 K/BB rate over 1081 1/3 career innings in the minor leagues.

Earlier Today

  • The LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization have announced the re-signing of right-hander Tyler Wilson and the signing of fellow righty Casey Kelly (Twitter links via Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net and Sung Min Kim of The Athletic and River Ave Blues).  The 29-year-old Wilson, whose new contract is worth $1.5MM, thrived during his first season in the hitter-friendly KBO in 2018. Across 26 starts and 170 innings, Wilson pitched to a 3.07 ERA with 7.92 K/9 and 1.89 BB/9. Before immigrating to Korea, Wilson saw action with the Orioles from 2015-17. While Wilson was only a 10th-round pick (2011), Kelly entered the pro ranks as a first-rounder of the Red Sox in 2008 and regularly ranked among the game’s 100 best prospects during the ensuing few years. Boston dealt him to San Diego in a 2011 blockbuster which also featured Adrian Gonzalez and Anthony Rizzo, but Kelly never broke out with the Padres, thanks in part to 2013 Tommy John surgery. Kelly ended up accruing a mere 40 1/3 innings with the Padres in parts of two seasons (2012 and ’15), and later combined for another 45 1/3 between the Braves (2016) and Giants (2018). Although Kelly generated decent results last year in San Francisco, where he registered a 3.04 ERA/4.22 FIP with 6.08 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 23 innings, the team outrighted him in late October. He’ll earn $1MM with his Korean club.
  • The Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan have added righty Zach Neal, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Neal amassed 70 innings as an Oakland Athletic in 2016, his rookie year, but only combined for 15 2/3 with them and the Dodgers from 2017-18. The 30-year-old racked up more trades (two) than MLB innings (one) in 2018, when L.A. dealt Neal to the Reds in April and re-acquired him in a July swap that also netted the Dodgers breakout reliever Dylan Floro. In 85 2/3 MLB innings, Neal has logged a 4.94 ERA/4.84 FIP with minuscule strikeout and walk rates (3.89 K/9, .74 BB/9) and a solid groundball percentage (50.3).
  • The Hanwha Eagles of the KBO have re-signed outfielder Jared Hoying for $1.4MM, Kurtz tweets. Hoying, 29, slashed .306/.373/.573 with 30 home runs in 590 plate appearances last year, his first with the Eagles. The lefty-swinger has spent most of his pro career with the Rangers, who selected him in the 10th round of the 2010 draft. Hoying collected 126 PAs with the Rangers from 2016-17 and batted .220/.262/.288 with one homer.

Michael Choice, Jake Brigham Re-Sign With KBO’s Nexen Heroes

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Two former big leaguers are extending their stay in the Korea Baseball Organization, as Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency writes that outfielder Michael Choice and righty Jake Brigham have re-signed with the Nexen Heroes on a pair of one-year deals. Choice will earn a guaranteed $600K in his second season with the Heroes, while Brigham will earn $650K.

The 28-year-old Choice was the 10th overall pick in the 2010 draft and long ranked as one of the game’s top overall prospects, but never delivered on that billing in the Majors. In parts of three big league seasons with the A’s (who drafted him) and Rangers, he hit .188/.253/.320 in 300 plate appearances.

Choice opened the 2017 season with the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate and spent time with the Brewers’ Double-A club before joining the Heroes midseason. In 201 plate appearances after moving to the KBO, Choice raked at a .307/.390/.653 clip with 17 homers and eight doubles.

Brigham, 30 in February, pitched with the Braves in 2015 but was roughed up in the only 16 2/3 innings of his MLB career. After that 2015 season, he spent some time with the Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball in 2016 before signing with the Heroes in 2017. His first KBO campaign resulted in 4.38 ERA with 6.1 K/9 against 1.6 BB/9 in 144 innings (24 starts).

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/4/17

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We’ll track the day’s minor moves in this post…

  • The Brewers announced today that they’ve traded minor league outfielder Victor Roache to the Dodgers in exchange for cash or a player to be named later. A former first-round pick (28th overall, 2012), the now-25-year-old Roache has yet to ascend beyond the Double-A level in his minor league career. Roache has appeared with Double-A Biloxi in each of the past three seasons but mustered a timid .234/.313/.391 batting line in that time. The Georgia Southern product was off to a woeful .176/.238/.230 start through his first 80 plate appearances prior to today’s trade. Baseball America’s most recent scouting report on him (No. 24 in the Brewers’ system in the 2015-16 offseason) praised his strong power skills but also noted his lack of discipline and defensive limitations.
  • Another former Brewers first-rounder, southpaw Jed Bradley, has decided to retire, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (Twitter link). He’d been pitching for the Orioles’ Double-A affiliate. Tabbed with the 15th overall pick back in 2011, Bradley was touted as one of the game’s best overall pitching prospects in the year or two following the ’11 draft, but his stock tumbled considerably, in part due to injuries. The former Georgia Tech star did make his Major League debut last season, tossing seven innings for the Braves.

Earlier Moves

  • The Tigers have sold the contract of righty Jake Brigham to Korea’s Nexen Heroes, per a club announcement. Brigham, 29, is a former sixth rounder who reached the majors in 2015 with the Braves. But he struggled in that stint and hasn’t been back since. Brigham had not yet appeared with the Detroit organization since signing a minors pact over the winter. Last year, he pitched in Japan, throwing 34 1/3 innings of 5.24 ERA ball with 7.1 K/9 against 4.2 BB/9.

Minor MLB Transactions: 12/26/16

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Here are some recent minor league moves from around the game, as chronicled by Baseball America’s Matt Eddy unless otherwise credited.  The newest transactions are at the top of the post…

  • The Giants inked catcher Josmil Pinto to a minor league deal.  Pinto appeared in six games with Milwaukee last season, his first MLB exposure since 2014.  The backstop has 84 games and 286 plate appearances to his record with the Brewers and Twins, as well as a .274/.349/.442 slash line over 3242 minor league PA.
  • The Mariners signed outfielder Kyle Waldrop to a minors contract.  The longtime Reds farmhand became a free agent after a 2016 season that saw him outrighted off Cincinnati’s 40-man roster.  Waldrop (a different player than the former Twins right-hander of the same name, for the record) appeared in 15 games for the Reds last season, mostly as a pinch-hitter or late-game sub.  He has a .274/.320/.429 slash over 2698 PA in the Reds’ minor league system.
  • The White Sox signed righty Jorge Rondon to a minor league pact earlier this month.  Rondon has a 13.26 ERA over 19 career innings pitched in the majors, making brief appearances in each of the last three seasons with the Cardinals, Rockies, Orioles and Pirates.  A pro since 2006, Rondon has a 4.24 ERA, 5.8 K/9 and 1.54 K/BB rate over 647 1/3 career frames in the minors, appearing as a reliever in 346 over his 387 career games.
  • The Red Sox re-signed catcher Dan Butler on a minor league deal.  Originally signed as an undrafted free agent in 2009, Butler has spent his entire pro career in Boston’s organization, save for a season with the Nationals in 2015.  Butler has a .256/.348/.405 slash line over 2441 career PA in the minors, and he appeared in seven games in the bigs in 2014.
  • The Tigers signed righties Jake Brigham and outfielder Jim Adduci to minor league deals.  As Eddy notes, Detroit has been active in signing players from international leagues as minor league depth, including these two former big leaguers.  Brigham spent 2016 with Japan’s Rakuten Golden Eagles after nine pro seasons in North America, receiving his first taste of the majors in the form of 16 2/3 innings with the Braves in 2015.  Adduci, 31, played 11 seasons in the minors and parts of two seasons (148 PA with the Rangers in 2013-14) in the majors before spending the last two years with the Korean Baseball Organization’s Lotte Giants.

Minor MLB Transactions 12-12-15

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Here are the day’s minor transactions:

  • The Tigers signed 17 minor leaguers, reports Anthony Fenech and James Jahnke of the Detroit Free Press. Among the most notable names are left-handed pitcher Drake Britton and right-handed pitchers Rafael Dolis, Lendy Castillo, and Preston Guilmet. The club also inked infielder Tommy Field. Britton, a former top Red Sox prospect, has pitched well in limited major league action. However, he scuffled with the Cubs Triple-A affiliate last season, posting a 5.08 ERA in 83 innings. Guilmet has strong minor league peripherals, but he’s struggled through 23 major league innings with a 8.22 ERA (4.28 xFIP).
  • The Tigers also inked right-handed pitcher Jake Brigham. However, his situation is unique in that he’s also pursuing a contract with NPB’s Rakuten Eagles. Brigham, soon-to-turn-28, has posted decent numbers as a minor league swingman. The Braves gave him a brief major league audition last season in which he threw 16 innings with a 8.64 ERA.
  • The Braves have signed former Reds starter David Holmberg, reports Baseball America’s Matt Eddy. Holmberg, 24, has thrown 62 major league innings over 12 starts and two relief appearances. He has a 6.24 ERA with 4.79 K/9 and 5.08 BB/9. Atlanta also acquired reliever Ethan Martin. The former Phillies swingman flashed decent stuff with command problems in the majors, leading to a 5.93 ERA, 10.43 K/9, and 5.93 BB/9 in 44 innings.
  • The Orioles have signed lefty Jeff Beliveau. The southpaw missed most of 2015 with a labrum injury. He’s experienced success as a situational reliever, including a 2.63 ERA with 10.50 K/9 and 2.63 BB/9 in 2014 (24 innings, 30 appearances).
  • The Marlins have added righty Dustin McGowan. The once successful 33-year-old pitched poorly for the Phillies while struggling with control in 2015. He was only marginally better at Triple-A. If McGowan recovers his form, he could be a valuable reliever. He has a career 4.68 ERA with 7.35 K/9 and 3.90 BB/9 in 505 innings.
  • The Mets have inked former Brewers closer Jim Henderson. Injuries caused the 33-year-old to lose his ninth inning role in 2014, and he’s failed to reestablish himself since then. Last season in 29 innings for Milwaukee’s Triple-A affiliate, Henderson posted a 4.55 ERA with 7.58 K/9 and 5.16 BB/9.
  • The Padres have signed Philip Humber to a minor league deal. Humber pitched the 2015 for the KBO’s KIA Tigers in 2015. He posted a 6.75 ERA in the offensively charged league. Humber is perhaps best remembered for his unlikely perfect game for the White Sox in April of 2012. He was also part of the haul that brought Johan Santana to the Mets.

International Notes And Signings: Hacker, Brigham, Morel, Cordier, Matsuda

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We’ve heard a lot about N.C. Dinos slugger Eric Thames, who was just crowned the MVP of the Korea Baseball Organization. He continued to rack up awards, but was joined in the trophy room by teammate Eric Hacker, who picked up the KBO’s “Golden Glove” for pitching. As Yonhap’s Jee-Ho Yoo explains, it goes to the best player at each position, unlike the more familiar precious metal-and-leather award utilized in the majors. Hacker, 32, has logged 18 MLB innings but has been a fixture in the Dinos’ rotation for the last three campaigns. He worked to a strong 3.13 EAR with 7.2 K/9 against 1.6 BB/9 over 204 innings — quite an impressive feat in the hitter-friendly KBO.

Here’s more on the international market, including some recent player movement from the U.S. to Asia:

  • Righty Jake Brigham is headed to Japan’s Rakuten Golden Eagles, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports on Twitter. The 27-year-old cracked the big leagues for the first time last year with the Braves, but was hit hard in a doze appearances. He did, however, put up a solid 3.46 ERA with 6.8 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9 in his 91 Triple-A frames (including 15 starts).
  • In addition to adding Brian Bogusevic, the NPB’s Orix Buffaloes have inked deals with Brent Morel and Erik Cordier, NPB Tracker’s Patrick Newman tweets. Morel, a 28-year-old third baseman, has seen action in each of the last six MLB seasons but hasn’t exceeded 35 games played since back in 2011. He slashed .286/.337/.448 over 472 Triple-A plate appearances last year with the Pirates and Athletics organizations. Cordier, a fireballing righty who’ll soon turn 30, has thrown 18 1/3 frames with the Giants and Marlins but has never harnessed his big heater enough to be seen as a consistent MLB pen piece. He was, however, rather dominant last year in the highest level of the minors.
  • The Padres have long been said to be among the teams with the strongest interest in Japanese third baseman Nobuhiro Matsuda, and Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets that the club could be weighing a multi-year offer. Though Matsuda may be interested in seeing how his market develops, Lin suggests that the Pads might be willing to make a two-year commitment — or, at least, one guaranteed year plus an option.
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