VerHagen untroubled by potential SSG Landers showdown after failed physical, contract termination

NC Dinos starter Drew VerHagen is an equal opportunity athlete when it comes to viewing his opponents. He doesn't like any of them. So if VerHagen ever gets a chance to face the SSG Landers, the team that denied him his first crack at the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) over a failed physical, the American right-hander won't treat that outing any differently.

"I would approach it like any other game I think, because I don't really like any opponents that I pitch against," VerHagen said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Thursday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. "So I would just focus on my pitching and I always want to do great. I always am intense when I'm out there. My focus is 100 percent on getting the guy out.

"You know, I'm not really concerned with SSG, honestly," VerHagen continued. "I think anyone that's standing in the box is an opponent and someone that I don't really like in that moment. So I think it doesn't really matter if it's SSG or someone else."

The Dinos and the Landers are scheduled to play a three-game series from May 5 to 7 at Incheon SSG Landers Field in the western city of Incheon. VerHagen last pitched on Tuesday and could pitch either May 6 or 7.

Though VerHagen didn't make a big deal of the possible showdown, it will nonetheless be a compelling duel given the history between the two sides.

On Dec. 6 last year, the Landers announced their signing of VerHagen to a one-year deal worth up to US$900,000 -- $750,000 in salary, $50,000 in signing bonus and $100,000 in incentives. Their press release came with a photo of VerHagen signing his contract.

However, on Jan. 20, the Landers said they had terminated the contract with VerHagen because the pitcher had "failed to meet the team's standards" in his medical test. They signed another pitcher, Anthony Veneziano, instead.

VerHagen apparently considered taking legal action against the Landers before deciding against it.

Then another KBO opportunity opened up for VerHagen in March. Just before the start of the regular season, Dinos ace Riley Thompson suffered an oblique injury that would sideline him for at least six weeks.

KBO clubs are allowed to acquire short-term replacements for foreign players who are out for at least six weeks with injuries, and the Dinos pounced on VerHagen on a six-week, $70,000 contract, with another $30,000 available in incentives.

And VerHagen has filled in admirably. After four starts, he has a 1-0 record with a 2.89 ERA in 18 2/3 innings and he has struck out 17 while walking five. He has been gradually increasing his workload. He threw 52 pitches over three innings in his debut on April 2, and then made 79 pitches over five innings five days later. On April 17, he went five innings again and threw 89 pitches. In his most recent outing on Tuesday, he threw 96 pitches to over 5 2/3 innings.

"It's been a fast ramp-up with no spring training but I feel like I'm adjusting well," he said.

VerHagen was picked in the fourth round of the 2012 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft by the Detroit Tigers. In 206 career MLB games -- 127 with the Tigers and 79 with the St. Louis Cardinals -- VerHagen went 18-12 record with a 4.98 ERA. He also pitched for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in four seasons across two stints -- from 2020 to 2021, and then from 2024 to 2025. He had an 18-19 record with a 3.68 ERA there.

VerHagen was so intrigued by an opportunity to pitch in the KBO that he accepted the short-term deal from the Dinos, with no guarantee that he will keep pitching here beyond his six weeks here.

"I've just heard it's a great league with really high level of baseball and the fans are really engaged," VerHagen said. "I had a good experience in the NPB so I really wanted to try the KBO and see how I like it as well. I also wanted to see what the Korean culture was like and try a lot of the food. I enjoy doing that stuff."

VerHagen said, on the other hand, dealing with pesky KBO hitters hasn't been as enjoyable.

"I think they're difficult to strike out. They make the at-bats tough (with) a lot of foul balls but they also have power," he said. "I feel like there's more power here than Japan. So if you leave a pitch up, they can hit it deep. I think overall, they're pretty well-rounded hitters."

Off the field, VerHagen said he has surprised himself with how well he has been able to stay in the moment without worrying too much about what comes after his current deal.

"I thought it would be difficult but I've been okay with it," he said. "I have my wife here with me and we're just enjoying Korea and just taking it one game at a time. So right now, I think it's been pretty surprisingly easy for me just to stay present."