Seoul: Looking to bolster a bullpen missing injured players, the Doosan Bears signed veteran reliever Ko Hyo-jun to a one-year contract Thursday. The Bears acquired Ko, who became a free agent after being non-tendered by the SSG Landers in October last year, for 80 million won (US$56,370) in guaranteed salary. The 42-year-old left-hander can make another 20 million won in incentives.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Ko made his Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) debut with the Lotte Giants in 2002, but made his mark as a versatile swingman for the SK Wyverns -- the previous incarnation of the Landers -- from 2004 to 2015. Ko earned a Korean Series championship ring with the Kia Tigers in 2017, and then rejoined the Giants for three more years from 2018 to 2020. After a brief stint with the LG Twins in 2021, Ko pitched for the Landers from 2022 to 2024.
He had a solid 2023 campaign, ranking second on the Landers with 73 appearances and 13 holds. Slowed by injuries in 2024, Ko only pitched to an 8.18 ERA in 26 games, prompting the Landers not to retain him for 2025. The Bears have had to deal with a shortage of bullpen arms this season, with high-leverage relievers from last year, Lee Byeong-heon, Choi Ji-kang, and Hong Geon-hui, missing time early with injuries. Lee and Choi returned to action earlier this month but have not been effective.
Through Wednesday's action, the Bears' bullpen ranked sixth in the KBO with a 4.45 ERA. The Bears said they put Ko through a tryout at their minor league park from last Friday to Wednesday, and said he touched 147 kilometers per hour (kph) with his four-seam fastball, some 5 kph faster than his average last season.
"We signed him to add left-handed depth to our bullpen," the Bears said in a statement. "He had better vertical movements with his pitches than last year and showed good command with his breaking balls. Even though he had been working out on his own, he had maintained good fastball velocity. He should be a useful piece in our bullpen and a mentor for our young pitchers."
Because the Bears signed a player non-tendered by his previous team, they will have to wait until May 1 to put him on their active roster. The Bears said Ko will pitch in minor-league games for the rest of April. "I'd like to thank the Bears for giving me an opportunity to extend my career," said Ko, who has a 47-54 career record with 56 holds and a 5.27 ERA over 890 innings in 601 outings. "I will do my best to have a memorable finish in the Doosan Bears uniform."