Padres Finalize Two-Year Contract With Korean Relief Pitcher Woo Suk Go

The right-hander will earn his keep in the Padres bullpen and has a chance to become the closer if everything works out. San Diego has a need to fill with closer Josh Hader hitting free agency, and the team not making an effort to retain him.

He has pitched seven seasons in the Korean Baseball Organization, spending the last five years as a closer for the LG Twins. Go has a strong fastball that sits around 95 mph and touches 98. It should transition over well, and he has a strong cutter that could work to his advantage as well. 

Over his career, Go has posted a record of 19-26 with a 3.18 ERA and 139 saves in 354 KBO games. He is still just 25 years old, so there is plenty of time for him to continue growing his game, especially as he gets accustomed to Major League Baseball.

He has struggled with control at times during his career, walking over 10% of hitters he's faced in four of his seven seasons. If he can refine his skillset, he will have a  chance to take over the high-leverage innings for the Padres.