Former Miami Marlins Prospect, Seattle Mariners' Pitcher, Heads Overseas to Play in Korea

Former Miami Marlins top prospect Robert Dugger has agreed to a contract with SSG of the Korean Baseball Organization.

Per Yoo Jee-Ho of the Yonhap News Agency:

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) team said Dugger has agreed to a one-year deal that could pay him up to US$900,000. He will make $650,000 in guaranteed salary and $100,000 in signing bonus. He can earn up to $150,000 in incentives.

KBO teams can each sign up to three foreign players, but no more than two pitchers. The Landers have decided to part ways with left-hander Kirk McCarty after one season in the KBO and are looking to bring back Roenis Elias for another season. They finished the 2023 season with outfielder Guillermo Heredia as their one foreign position player.

The 28-year-old made his major league debut with the Marlins in 2019 before getting to Seattle in 2021. With the Mariners, he started four games that year, going 0-2 with a 7.36 ERA in 12 total appearances.

After Seattle, he appeared in one game with the 2022 Tampa Bay Rays and three games with the 2022 Cincinnati Reds.

Per MLBTradeRumors:

"...he’s posted solid results in an exorbitantly hitter-friendly Triple-A setting in each of the past two seasons. Dugger’s 4.31 earned run average with the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate in 2023 actually led all qualified starting pitchers in the Pacific Coast League and ranked ranked fourth among starters with at least 70 innings pitched. He coupled that mark with a 22.6% strikeout rate, 9.5% walk rate and 43.5% ground-ball rate."

Dugger was the No. 30 prospect for the Marlins heading into 2020, per MLB.com.