Free agent pitcher Go Woo-suk set to rejoin LG Twins

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Free agent pitcher Go Woo-suk is reuniting with his former club in South Korea after a short stint in the majors.

An official with the LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said the 28-year-old pitcher was scheduled to land at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, early Tuesday evening.

And before the Twins' game against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, Cha Myeong-seok, the Twins' general manager, told reporters he will meet with the player either Tuesday night or Wednesday morning to finalize his contract.

Go was designated for assignment by the Minnesota Twins last Friday. After Go was not claimed off waivers, the Twins sought to outright him to their Triple-A club, the St. Paul Saints, but Go refused that assignment and became a free agent instead.

Once a player is designated for assignment, he can be traded or placed on irrevocable waivers within seven days. And if the player clears waivers -- that is, if no team picks that player from waivers -- then he may be sent outright to the minors or released, becoming a free agent.

A player who has previously been outrighted in his career has the right to refuse a minor-league assignment and immediately hit free agency.

Go, who was designated for assignment by the Miami Marlins in May 2024, exercised that right.

Go's free agency opened the door for him to rejoin the LG Twins, for whom he previously pitched from 2017 to 2023.

Cha said Go's agency, Leeco Sports Agency in Seoul, informed him of Go's desire to rejoin the Twins late Monday night, before the pitcher boarded his Korea-bound flight.

Go became the Twins' full-time closer in 2019, and over the next five seasons, Go compiled 139 saves, more than any other KBO closer in that stretch.

Go signed with the San Diego Padres in January 2024 but bounced 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 serving up three runs on four hits in one inning 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. He was initially suspended for 10 games but had it reduced to eight games following an appeal.

After his suspension ended, Go went on to post a 12.54 ERA across eight outings, with 13 earned runs allowed on nine hits and 11 walks in just 9 1/3 innings.

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. They rank 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. It forced 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 jolt to the Twins' bullpen, he will not be eligible to pitch for them in the postseason. Players must be on an active roster by July 31 to be allowed to compete in postseason games.

Cha said Go will be signed only for the rest of the 2026 season, and discussions for a potential multiyear deal will have to wait until the offseason.