Incheon: The SSG Landers announced they are contemplating replacing their newly signed American pitcher, Drew VerHagen, due to an undisclosed health issue. A team official revealed that a problem was identified during VerHagen's physical examination, but specifics were not disclosed as the Landers are still deliberating on whether to retain him or seek alternatives. The team has already begun negotiations with another pitcher as a precautionary measure.
According to Yonhap News Agency, VerHagen was signed by the Landers on December 6 to a one-year contract worth up to $900,000, which includes $750,000 in salary, a $50,000 signing bonus, and $100,000 in performance incentives. VerHagen, 35, has had a diverse career, debuting in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Detroit Tigers in 2014 and playing with them until 2019. He then moved to Japan to pitch for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) from 2020 to 2021, before joining the St. Louis Cardinals for two seasons from 2022 to 2023.
VerHagen returned for a second stint with the Fighters from 2024 to 2025. During his MLB career, he participated in 206 games, including eight starts, achieving an 18-12 record with a 4.98 ERA, alongside 234 strikeouts and 115 walks over 281 2/3 innings. In Triple-A, he appeared in 76 games, primarily as a starter, posting a 20-20 record with a 3.98 ERA, 258 strikeouts, and 103 walks in 323 1/3 innings. While in NPB, VerHagen recorded an 18-19 record with a 3.68 ERA, 278 strikeouts, and 78 walks over 283 1/3 innings.
The Landers had initially expressed confidence in VerHagen's fastball and his command over secondary pitches such as the slider and sweeper, expecting him to be a key innings-eater at the top of their rotation. VerHagen was brought in to fill the void left by former No. 1 starter Drew Anderson, who joined the Tigers following two successful seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), where he led with 403 strikeouts combined in 2024 and 2025, including 245 strikeouts last year, the second-highest single-season total in KBO history.