Twins acquire infielder, catcher for reliever in trade with Wiz

Lim Jun-hyeong of the LG Twins pitches against the Kiwoom Heroes during a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, June 7. Courtesy of LG Twins

The LG Twins announced Wednesday they acquired infielder Cheon Seong-ho and catcher Kim Jun-tae in exchange for reliever Lim Jun-hyeong in a trade with the KT Wiz.

The Twins said they reached out to the Wiz first to begin trade discussions. With the Twins seeking an extra bat and the Wiz wanting a left-hander to pitch out of their bullpen, the two Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) clubs worked out a deal, with Kim thrown into the mix.

Cheon Seong-ho of the KT Wiz, right, celebrates after hitting a single against the SSG Landers during a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, June 6. Courtesy of KT Wiz

Cheon, 27, batted .209 in 31 games with seven RBIs but was batting .396 in 15 games in the Futures League, the KBO's minor circuit. The former second-round draft pick won the batting title in the Southern League of the Futures League in 2023 and showed some flashes early last season after rejoining the Wiz before fading away badly.

"Cheon Seong-ho is a capable hitter who can also run the bases. He's been swinging the bat well in the minors, and he can jump right back into KBO action," the Twins said. "We expect him to take the next step as he competes for playing time with younger players on our team."

With the 30-year-old Kim, the Twins added some catching depth behind their two incumbents, Park Dong-won and Lee Ju-heon. Kim is a veteran of 518 games, but he has not yet played in the KBO this season.

Lim, 24, has appeared in five games so far this season and posted a 1.93 ERA over 4 2/3 innings. He threw a scoreless inning in relief against the Wiz on Tuesday.

With the Twins' bullpen welcoming back injured pitchers, Lim became expendable.

"Lim Jun-hyeong has good command of his pitchers, and his changeup and curveball are especially sharp," Wiz general manager Na Do-hyun said. "We needed a left-handed pitcher in our bullpen, and we expect him to strengthen our relief corps."