KBO All-Star Go Woo-suk returns home as new San Diego Padres pitcher
Go Woo-suk of the San Diego Padres poses in his new club's jersey at Petco Park in San Diego on Jan. 4. Courtesy of Leeco Sports Agency.
One of Korean baseball's best closers over the past five years, right-hander Go Woo-suk returned home Saturday as the newest pitcher for the San Diego Padres, determined to prove his worth in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Go, former All-Star reliever for the LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), signed a two-year, $4.5 million contract with the Padres on Wednesday. Go had been posted for MLB clubs in early December, and he joined the Padres on the last day of his 30-day negotiating period.
The deadline was 2 p.m. (Pacific Time) that day, and Go said the contract was finalized, following a successful physical, with only seven minutes to spare.
"Once the deal was signed, I was more relieved than I was happy," Go told reporters gathered at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, early Saturday. "Everything happened so fast, and I still feel a little numb."
Go made his KBO debut in 2017 and became their closer in 2019. He led all KBO relievers with 139 saves and a 2.39 ERA from 2019 to 2023, and ranked second with 334 strikeouts in that span. He topped the league with a career-best 42 saves while pitching to a 1.48 ERA in 2022.
Aside from helping the Twins win their first Korean Series title in 29 years, Go had a down year in 2023 marred by shoulder and lower back injuries. He only recorded 15 saves, and his ERA ballooned to 3.68. Go's strikeout rate fell while his walk rate jumped from 2022 to 2023. The Padres, apparently sold on Go's body of work over a handful of years, still acquired him as another piece for a new-look bullpen.
Go Woo-suk of the San Diego Padres walks through an arrival gate at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on Jan. 6. Yonhap
The Padres lost closer Josh Hader and setup man Nick Martinez to free agency this winter. Prior to getting Go, the Friars signed Japanese closer Yuki Matsui, who collected 236 saves over 10 years in Nippon Professional Baseball.
Go is the second KBO star to land a big league contract via posting this winter. In December, former Kiwoom Heroes outfielder Lee Jung-hoo signed a six-year, $113 million contract with the San Francisco Giants. Go and Lee, born 14 days apart in August 1998, are good friends and brothers-in-law, with Go married to Lee's younger sister.
Go is the second Korean player on the Padres after Gold Glove-winning infielder Kim Ha-seong.
The Padres are scheduled to open their 2024 season at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, where they will face the Los Angeles Dodgers for the two-game "Seoul Series" on March 20-21. These will be the first MLB regular season games ever in Korea.
Go said he would have to earn his spot on the Padres' roster before he can start looking forward to pitching in his native country as a big leaguer.
"I am in a spot where I have to compete for my opportunity," Go said. "I don't think I can call myself a major leaguer just yet. Once I win the competition and get my name on the roster, then it will really dawn on me that I've made it to the majors."
Go's deal includes a $3 million mutual option for 2026 with a $500,000 buyout. Go can make as much as $9.4 million over the next three years, if he earns performance-based bonuses and escalators. For instance, Go will earn a $100,000 bonus for pitching in 70 games this year, and make $100,000 each for 40, 45, 50 and 55 games in 2025 and 2026.
His salaries for 2025 and 2026 could also rise by as much as $500,000 based on the number of games he finishes. (Yonhap)