The San Diego Padres have agreed to a contract with right-handed pitcher Woo-Suk Go, according to a report by Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Go is a 25-year old reliever who has been one of the best relievers in the KBO (Korea's top professional baseball league) for several years. Go also happens to be the brother-in-law of SF Giants outfielder Jung-Hoo Lee (#9-ranked free agent).
Go joined the LG Twins as an 18-year old out of high school back in 2017. While it took him a few seasons to adjust to the elite competition, Go emerged as the team's closer in 2019 before his 21st birthday. Over the five seasons since, Go recorded a 2.39 ERA with 334 strikeouts, 115 walks, and 139 saves in 275.1 innings pitched.
While the KBO generally lacks premium velocity, Go was one of a few exceptions. His fastball has consistently sat in the mid-90s, around 95 mph, and has reached 98 mph. He has primarily relied on his heater, but also has a breaking ball that he can manipulate into different shapes.
Go's performance dipped this past season, but he remained a quality option. Following the campaign, the Twins posted Go for MLB teams. His posting period was slated to expire on January 3rd, but it seems like he inked a deal with the Padres before the window closed. The Padres will now have to pay the Twins a posting fee worth 20% of the guaranteed value of Go's contract.
Go becomes the second posted KBO player this offseason to ink a deal with a big-league team. Lee, of course, was the first when he inked a $113 million contract with the Giants. Go and Lee have long been peers as young superstars in the KBO. In fact, Go and Lee became family members last January when Go married Lee's sister.
Heyman implied that Go will likely be the Padres closer next season. However, he is the second prominent international reliever to ink a deal with San Diego. The Padres already signed Yuki Matsui, a top reliever in the NPB, to a five-year deal. Matsui, Go, and incumbent setup arm Robert Suárez will likely compete to replace Josh Hader as the team's closer.
While Hader remains a free agent, the Padres are looking to cut payroll this offseason and will almost certainly not offer him a lucrative enough contract to retain him. So, with Hader slated to be the closer for another team, there will be an opportunity for someone else to fill the void.
Woo-Suk Go will become the second member of the San Diego Padres with close ties to SF Giants outfielder Jung-Hoo Lee. Beyond his familial ties with Go, Lee has long been close friends with Ha-Seong Kim, the Padres incumbent starting second baseman.
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