Nat'l baseball team's WBC camp open to US-based players: official
In this file photo, San Diego Padres pitcher Go Woo-suk throws a ball during a workout at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, prior to the Padres' game against the Los Angeles Dodgers to open the 2024 Major League Baseball season, Mar. 19, 2024. Yonhap
When Korea holds training camp next month to prepare for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in spring, those who plied their trade overseas this year will be welcome to join, a national team official said Friday.
According to the official, Go Woo-suk, who is looking for a new contract after splitting the 2025 campaign in the minor leagues for two different affiliates, is one such player.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced a 29-man training camp roster on Dec. 3, with manager Ryu Ji-hyun's national team scheduled to work out in Saipan from Jan. 9 to 21.
Every player on the list played in the KBO in 2025, but one player, infielder Song Sung-mun, has since signed with the San Diego Padres. Song's availability for camp and also for the WBC, set for March 5-17, remains a question mark, with Song and his new team still discussing his status. After joining the Padres earlier this week, Song said he expects a decision from the Padres brass before the Saipan camp.
Go has more freedom to join the national team camp, at least for the time being, after getting released by the Detroit Tigers in November.
Go signed a two-year deal with the Padres in January 2024, but he started the season in the minors and never reached Major League Baseball (MLB) before the Padres dealt him to the Miami Marlins.
The Marlins released Go in June, and the Tigers soon inked him to a minor league deal. Go once again failed to earn a call-up to the majors after making 14 appearances for the Tigers' Triple-A team in Toledo, Ohio.
Go is seeking another opportunity in the United States rather than a return to his original KBO club, the LG Twins.
Go, one of the top closers in the KBO during his time with the Twins, has a 5.61 ERA in 76 career U.S. minor league games covering 94 2/3 innings. Despite Go's mediocre numbers, the national team here still believes the right-hander can be a valuable bullpen piece.
"It's still premature to talk about choosing Go Woo-suk for the WBC, but he is a player that can help the national team," the official said. "If he wants to, he can come to our camp. We organized this camp to help players get ready for the tournament that starts before the regular season (in KBO and MLB)."
Three Korean players ended the 2025 MLB season on big league rosters: Kim Ha-seong of the Atlanta Braves, Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants and Kim Hye-seong of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The first two on this list will likely skip the Saipan camp and join the national team for the WBC if given the green light from their clubs. Kim Hye-seong said earlier this month that he had already asked the Dodgers for permission to play at the WBC and that he hoped the club would also let him participate in the Saipan camp.