[Breaking News] 'NPB Experience' Minor League Slugger with 215 Home Runs, KIA Incoming! Prominent U.S. Reporter Reports... Castro Replacement Likely Foreign Investor

*This content was translated by AI.

Adelin Rodriguez (35, Toros de Tijuana), who has hit 215 home runs exclusively in the U.S. minor leagues, is coming to Korea. Reports indicate he is a strong candidate to replace Harold Castro (33, KIA Tigers), who recently left the lineup due to a hamstring injury.

Francis Romero, a reporter for the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA), reported on the 30th (Korea time) via his social media: "According to sources, Rodriguez has signed with the KIA Tigers of the KBO League in Korea. Rodriguez played for the Toros de Tijuana in the Mexican League and nearly made it to the major leagues on several occasions."

Rodriguez, a native of the Dominican Republic, is a veteran right-handed slugger who has hit 204 home runs in Triple-A alone in the U.S. minor leagues. He began his professional career with the New York Mets in 2009 and went on to play for the Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres, and Detroit Tigers, among others, accumulating 1,219 minor league games with a .271 batting average (4,619 at-bats, 1,254 hits), 215 home runs, 840 RBIs, 322 walks, 998 strikeouts, a .325 on-base percentage, a .476 slugging percentage, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.801.

He is also a AAAA-type hitter who never made it to the major league stage. His closest moment came in 2021 when he won the home run title with the Detroit Triple-A team, recording 29 home runs and 94 RBIs in 116 games with an OPS of 0.927.

However, he ultimately did not receive a call-up to the major leagues and headed to the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in 2022 to experience the Asian stage. His performance was not good. After failing with the Hanshin Tigers over two years, posting a .202 batting average (258 at-bats, 52 hits), 8 home runs, 34 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.601 in 83 games, he bounced around the independent leagues and the Mexican League.

Thus, Rodriguez, who possesses rich experience, appears to have come under KIA's radar. Castro was sidelined on the 25th during a game against the Gwangju Lotte Giants due to a left hamstring injury sustained while fielding. Since hamstring injuries are prone to recurrence and Castro's performance over 23 games was not particularly strong—batting .250 (88 at-bats, 22 hits), with 2 home runs, 16 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.700—talk of a replacement also circulated.

For KIA, which needs a powerful slugger with a big bat to support Kim Do-young (23) in its bid to climb the standings, Rodriguez could be an attractive option. Fortunately, Rodriguez's recent form has been hot. Last year, he experienced the Mexican League and the Dominican Winter League, hitting a total of 42 home runs. This year, he also performed decently in the Mexican League with a .321 batting average and an OPS of 0.709.

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*This content was translated by AI.