Seoul: South Korean pitcher Go Woo-suk has become a free agent after refusing an outright assignment to the minor league by the Minnesota Twins. The Twins announced Monday (U.S. local time) that Go elected free agency instead of accepting another stint with their Triple-A club, the St. Paul Saints.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Twins had designated Go for assignment on Friday. Once a player is designated for assignment, he can be traded or placed on irrevocable waivers within seven days. If no team picks that player from waivers, he may be sent outright to the minors or released, becoming a free agent. With the annual trade deadline already passed, Go waited to see if any team would pick him off waivers. After no team did, the Twins sought to send the South Korean pitcher back to St. Paul.
Go, who was designated for assignment by the Miami Marlins in May 2024, exercised his right to refuse a minor-league assignment and immediately became a free agent. This likely opens the door for him to rejoin his former Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club, the LG Twins. Go pitched for them from 2017 to 2023, becoming their full-time closer in 2019 and compiling 139 saves, more than any other KBO closer in that stretch.
Go signed with the San Diego Padres in January 2024 but moved around multiple organizations before finally making his Major League Baseball debut with the Minnesota Twins on July 9 this year. He lasted just four games with Minnesota, pitching to a 9.00 ERA in four innings after allowing four runs on eight hits, including two home runs. He was sent to St. Paul after a challenging outing on July 20. Four days later, in what would have been his Saints debut, Go was ejected for having an illegal substance in his glove. Initially suspended for 10 games, his suspension was reduced to eight following an appeal.
After his suspension, Go posted a 12.54 ERA across eight outings, with 13 earned runs allowed on nine hits and 11 walks in just 9 1/3 innings. Meanwhile, the LG Twins, the 2025 Korean Series champions, are in the thick of a postseason battle, currently occupying fourth place with a win-loss-tie record of 64-51-1. Their pitching staff has been decimated by injuries all season, ranking seventh among 10 KBO teams with a 4.92 ERA, and their relievers have the fifth-best ERA at 5.16.
You Young-chan, who succeeded Go as the closer in 2024, underwent season-ending elbow surgery in April, forcing the Twins to convert starting pitcher Son Ju-young to closer. They have also cycled through several setup men, while veteran Kim Jin-sung is currently sidelined with a shoulder injury. While Go would provide an immediate boost to the Twins' bullpen, he will not be eligible to pitch for them in the postseason, as players must be on an active roster by July 31 to compete in postseason games.