Righty Sean O’Sullivan has signed on with the Korea Baseball Organization’s Nexen Heroes, the team announced (Korean language announcement; h/t Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net, via Twitter). He’ll receive a $1.1MM salary.
The 29-year-old hurler has seen action in parts of seven major league campaigns, appearing with the Angels, Royals, Padres, Phillies, and (most recently) Red Sox. All told, he’s provided 323 2/3 innings, but owns a sub-optimal 6.01 ERA with 4.4 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 to go with a 40.1% groundball rate. The long ball has been a problem, as O’Sullivan has allowed 1.64 home runs per nine innings pitched.
O’Sullivan made four starts and one relief appearance last year for Boston, but spent most of the year (and large parts of the past eight seasons) pitching at Triple-A. The former third-round draft pick threw 105 1/3 frames in 19 starts in the highest level of the minors, posting a 4.02 ERA but carrying a fairly promising 7.3 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9.
Fringe level guys get paid extremely well in KBO and NPB. Surprised more don’t go just to earn some legit money for a few years then try to return.
Both leagues have pretty strict limits on how many foreign born players can be on each team restricting how many guys can actually head that way.
Looks like 4 on a 25 man roster for the NPB and 3 in the KBO, they do appear to have the ability to sign as many players as they want but are restricted as far as the active roster goes.
Examining that for its face value, that seems pretty f-ed up. I mean just imagine if MLB had that. Would be looked at as unbelievably xenophobic. But that’s just me looking at it at face value.
I fully understand what you are saying and I completely agree. Also, I certainly agree if MLB had that type of prohibitive rule, then they would get crucified by media outlets, other organizations, etc.
Although, with all of that being said, I’m trying to think of their reasoning and rationale behind that rule.
I easily could be wrong and off base with this assumption, but I’m thinking the reason they might have that rule in place is to give their own players more of a chance to play and grow within the league.
Basically, I am guessing, due in large part to the higher overall level of foreign talent available, that rule is being put in place to make sure their own countrymen get the majority of the opportunities in their professional league.
If that is truly the case, then I have to say I can understand their rationale and reasoning behind enforcing that type of rule.
I’m honestly at a loss for any other major reasons as to why that rule exists..Please fellow MLBTR’ members, or writers, add any guesses, possible explanations, or please just pass on any knowledge you guys have pertaining to this topic…!!
You’ve pretty much nailed it, I believe. Too much reliance on foreign players would certainly hinder the growth and development of their own players. Use English soccer as an example – strong national league, but heavily foreign, and in turn, there aren’t enough quality English players to make a half decent national team. From memory, there was a time recently where Manchester City didn’t have a single Englishman in the gameday team.
BRavesfan88
Yeah that has to be the case because they can’t really justify anything else. At the same time though I wonder how much more competitive their league would be if they did away with that policy. It would surely open up the sport in regards to teams and players. It would also open up more opportunities for all players to come to MLB, instead of just the occasional superstar pitcher. Iono it just seems like they are missing out on competitiveness and financial gain the way things are.
look I don’t want to diminish the man but he got to throw three HUNDRED MLB innings?! WOW! Where does he rank on the worst era ever chart minimum 100 innings i wonder? is he the worst pitcher to get this much MLB action in the last 20 years who isn’t left handed? He doesn’t even have good peripherals! I have so much to sat about this guy.
Not that his numbers aren’t bad and not that I’ve seen a lot of him, but I did watch his starts with the Red Sox this past season and it seems like every time I was really pleasantly surprised by him… until usually the 4th inning or so then wham! Really bad… really,really bad. I don’t know if it’s him being stubborn or what, but it seems like he might be kind of serviceable if he dedicated himself to being a reliever. I know they all want to start, but yeah.
That seemed to work out for andrew miller. Im sure theres other guys where a pullpen moved saved their careers.
But teams need to commit to them being pen guys- none of this switch to starter crap. How many guys have been great pen guys then a teams like lets stretch em out and breaks em?
Oh wait…… Angel fans want him back too.
6.01 = suboptimal. Just to reiterate.
Wow. First Ranaudo , now O’Sullivan, KBO is just buying more HRs for the fans. Somebody get me a bat and a flight east!