New Padres pitcher Go Woo-suk bracing for roster battle: ‘I’m not a major leaguer yet’
SEOUL, Jan. 6 (Yonhap) — South Korean pitcher Go Woo-suk has signed a major league deal with the San Diego Padres, with two guaranteed years and a mutual option for a third season. There is also a clause that will prevent the Padres from sending him to the minors without Go’s consent.
What’s more: Go could potentially make his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in South Korea in March, when the Padres face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the two-game “Seoul Series.”
However, Go, who returned home Saturday morning, said he doesn’t see himself as a major leaguer just yet. His contract notwithstanding, Go believes he still has to fight his way onto the Padres roster.
“I am in a spot where I have to compete for my opportunity,” Go told reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. “I don’t think I can call myself a major leaguer just yet. I haven’t even pitched in my first game. Once I win the competition and get my name on the roster, then it will really dawn on me that I’ve made it to the majors.”
Following Go’s seven years with the LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the Padres signed him to the multiyear contract to be their latest option at the back end of the bullpen. Go led all KBO relievers with 139 saves and a 2.39 ERA between 2019, his first season as the Twins closer, and 2023. His 334 strikeouts in that five-year stretch put Go in second place among KBO closers. He also helped the Twins win their first Korean Series title in 29 years in November.
The Padres lost All-Star closer Josh Hader to free agency, and setup man Nick Martinez also departed as a free agent. Robert Suarez, one of the returning relievers, is projected as the new closer, though the Padres now have two highly rated closers from Asia in the mix too. Before getting Go, they signed Japanese closer Yuki Matsui, who had 236 saves over 10 years in Nippon Professional Baseball.
“I will be pitching in my first game in February (during spring training), and I will have to get my body ready for that, first and foremost,” Go said. “And during spring training games, I have to get to a point where I feel like I can win battles against major league hitters. And I will be able to really consider myself a major leaguer once I make the roster.”
Go is the second member of his extended family to move to MLB this winter. In December, his brother-in-law, former Kiwoom Heroes star Lee Jung-hoo, signed with the San Francisco Giants.
Go is also the second South Korean player for the Padres, after Gold Glove-winning infielder Kim Ha-seong, who has been with the Friars since 2021. Go and Kim didn’t play together in the KBO but have been teammates at international competitions, including the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
“We’ve played in the same league and played for the country together. Having someone like that around when I am moving overseas puts my mind at ease,” Go said.
Go led the KBO with 42 saves in 2022, but his numbers fell across the board in an injury-plagued 2023 season. Though he was eligible for posting after last season, Go’s decision to ask the Twins to post him after a relatively poor season — he was limited to 15 saves and had a mediocre 3.68 ERA — came as a surprise to many.
Go could have chosen to test free agency after one more season in the KBO. But the pitcher himself said he wanted to see for himself how much he would be worth in posting.
