KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes Release Eric Jokisch, Sign Ian McKinney
The Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization have released right-hander Eric Jokisch and signed left-hander Ian McKinney, per Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net (Twitter links). Kurtz adds that Jokisch was diagnosed with a partial tear in left abductor muscle and was set to miss six weeks. KBO teams are only allowed three roster spots for non-Korean players, so they have decided to quickly make this switch instead of waiting for Jokisch to recover.
Jokisch, 33, pitched 14 1/3 innings for the Cubs in 2014, which is the full extent of his major league experience. He has a far lengthier track record in the KBO, as this is the fifth season in which he’s pitched for the Heroes. He’s made 130 starts dating back to the 2019 season, with a 2.85 ERA in 773 1/3 innings. His strikeout rate has been in the 17-21% range for most of those seasons but he’s succeeded by reliably getting ground balls on over two thirds of balls in play.
That success has repeatedly led to him and the Heroes continuing their relationship, though it will now be severed by this injury, as the club will use the roster spot to add McKinney. The left-hander, now 28, was a fifth-round selection of the Cardinals in 2013. He was released in 2018 after topping out at Double-A. He later signed with the Mariners and made it as far as Triple-A in that organization but never made it to the majors.
In addition to that affiliated work, he’s also pitched for independent clubs, including this year. He’s made eight starts for the Gastonia Honey Hunters of the Atlantic League here in 2023, posting a 4.24 ERA in 46 2/3 innings, striking out 53 opponents while walking 11.
Jokisch will now be free to pursue other opportunities, though he may have to rehab from his injury first. His success in Korea led to some interest from MLB clubs prior to the 2021 season, though he ultimately stayed with the Heroes.
Mariners Release Asher Wojciechowski, Ian McKinney
The Mariners have released right-hander Asher Wojciechowski and left-hander Ian McKinney from their minor league contracts, according to Triple-A Tacoma director of media relations Paul Braverman (Twitter link). Both Wojciechowski and McKinney initially re-signed with Seattle in February.
Wojciechowski has pitched in parts of five MLB seasons since 2015, including a single game with the Yankees during the 2021 campaign. After being released by New York last summer, Wojciechowski signed on with the Mariners on a minors contract but didn’t receive a call to the big leagues, and he elected free agency once the offseason began.
The righty has a 5.93 ERA over 202 career innings, in large part due to a whopping 45 home runs allowed. A first-round pick for the Blue Jays back in 2010, the 33-year-old Wojciechowski has become a journeyman, pitching with nine different organizations at the major and minor league levels across 13 pro seasons.
McKinney is only 27 years old, but has nine seasons in the minors on his resume, pitching in the Cardinals system from 2013-18 and then joining the Mariners in 2019 following a brief stint in independent ball. The southpaw didn’t reach the Triple-A level until 2021 but the results haven’t been good — McKinney has a 7.22 ERA, 15.86% strikeout rate, and 12.75% walk rate over 76 innings in Tacoma in 2021-22.
While neither pitcher was performing well for the Rainiers, the releases do remove two swingman/long relief options from the Mariners’ depth chart. The M’s have gotten a lot of stability out of their rotation this year, with Marco Gonzalez, Robbie Ray, Logan Gilbert, and Chris Flexen all making their starts, and star prospect George Kirby stepping with some quality work after Matt Brash struggled over five outings.
Mariners Sign Erick Mejia To Minor League Deal
The Mariners have signed infielder/outfielder Erick Mejia to a minor league deal, per Triple-A director of media relations Paul Braverman. Mejia was never on a 40-man roster in 2021, making him eligible to sign a contract during the lockout.
Mejia got a cup of coffee with the Royals in both 2019 and 2020, getting 43 plate appearances in 17 MLB games. In that small sample, he slashed .167/.244/.222. The Royals non-tendered him and then re-signed him to a minor league deal prior to the 2021 campaign. In 55 Triple-A games, he hit .246/.317/.409.
Despite that meager offensive production, the 27-year-old Mejia surely appeals to the Mariners due to his defensive versatility, something all MLB teams value these days. He has seen time at second base, third base, shortstop and all three outfield positions, making him a fallback option should injuries damage either their infield or outfield depth.
This is Mejia’s second stint with the Mariners, as he was originally signed by the team back in June 2012 as an amateur free agent. After spending his first three-plus pro seasons in Seattle’s organization, the M’s traded Mejia to the Dodgers for Joe Wieland in January 2016. This wasn’t the only prominent trade of Mejia’s career, as he went to Kansas City in January 2018 as part of a three-team deal involving the Dodgers and White Sox.
Braverman also notes that the M’s have re-signed left-handed pitcher Ian McKinney, who joined Seattle’s farm system in 2019 after six seasons in the Cardinals’ organization. McKinney got off to a good start this past season, as he posted a 2.18 ERA and 37.6% strikeout rate (albeit with an 11.3% walk rate) over 33 innings over over six starts in Double-A. However, after a promotion to Triple-A, McKinney’s numbers went south, with a 6.04 ERA and 19.8% strikeout rate over 52 2/3 innings (starting 10 of 11 games).