Bears reunite with starter Flexen, re-sign pitcher Logue

Doosan Bears pitchers Zach Logue, left, and Chris Flexen sign their contracts with the Korea Baseball Organization club, Thursday. Courtesy of the Bears

American pitcher Chris Flexen has rejoined the Doosan Bears after spending the past five seasons in the United States.

The Bears announced Thursday they have reunited with the American right-hander on a one-year deal worth $1 million.

Flexen, 31, previously pitched for the Bears in 2020, going 8-4 with a 3.01 ERA in 116 2/3 innings over 21 starts. He had 132 strikeouts against 30 walks that year.

He missed about two months that year due to a foot injury but finished the year on a strong note by going 4-0 with a 0.85 ERA over five starts in October.

Flexen was the Bears' top starter in their postseason run, as they won the first two rounds to reach the Korean Series before bowing out to the NC Dinos in six games. Flexen became the first Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) pitcher to record 10 or more strikeouts in consecutive postseason games and was voted the MVP of the penultimate round.

Flexen had played for the New York Mets for three years before coming over to the KBO. After his one season here, Flexen went back to the U.S. and pitched for the Seattle Mariners from 2021 to 2023.

In 2021, Flexen led the Mariners with 14 wins, a 3.61 ERA and 179 2/3 innings pitched but was not able to match that level of success again.

He was traded to the Mets in July 2023 but was released without pitching for them. The Colorado Rockies signed him and gave him a dozen starts. He went on to play for the Chicago White Sox in 2024 and the Chicago Cubs this year before the Cubs released him in August.

For his major league career, Flexen has a 35-50 record with a 4.83 ERA in 174 games, including 111 starts. He will replace Cole Irvin in the Bears' rotation.

Also on Thursday, the Bears brought back left-hander Zach Logue for his second KBO season on a one-year deal worth $1.1 million.

Logue went 10-8 with a 2.81 ERA in 30 games this year. With the Bears spending most of the year near the bottom of the standings, Logue was the only pitcher to win at least 10 games for them.

The 29-year-old American pitcher got stronger as the season progressed and posted the third-best ERA in the league in the second half with 2.14.

The Bears have already filled their Asian quota with the Japanese pitcher Ichiro Tamura. They are still looking to sign a foreign-born hitter after deciding not to bring back American outfielder Jake Cave.

KBO teams can sign a maximum two pitchers and one position player from overseas, and they now have an Asian quota place beginning in the 2026 season.