[Official] 'ERA 6.68' LG champion foreign investor, could not hold on and left! Rios from the ML acquired for $450,000

*This content was translated by AI.

Yoni Chirinos (33), the 13th-win foreign pitcher who led the team to the Korean Series championship last year, ultimately left without completing a full season. The foreign pitcher replacing him is Yacksel Rios (33).

On the 3rd, the LG club officially announced, "We have reached an agreement to sign foreign player Yacksel Rios (Yacksel Rios Melendez) for a total of $450,000 (base salary $350,000, incentives $100,000)."

Rios, a Puerto Rican national, is a right-handed pitcher who was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2011 and made his Major League debut in 2017. He played for nine teams, including Philadelphia, recording 93 games, 8 wins, 2 losses, an ERA of 6.21, and 100 innings with 95 strikeouts in his MLB career. In the minor leagues, he recorded 344 games, 36 wins, 32 losses, an ERA of 4.11, 619⅓ innings, and 556 strikeouts. In the 2026 Triple-A season, he went winless with 3 losses in 11 games, posting an ERA of 4.24, 17 innings, and 15 strikeouts.

The LG club stated, "Rios is a power pitcher who throws fast and pitches aggressively. As a right-handed pitcher with strong stuff, he showed good form in the 2026 WBC. He will join the team and become a great asset to the pitching staff."

Rios said through the club, "It is an honor to join the champion LG Twins, who won the KBO League championship last year. Having joined midway through the season, I will adapt quickly and do my best to help the LG Twins win the championship again this year."

As a result, Chirinos is leaving the Korean KBO League after one and a half years. Chirinos, who joined LG last year, contributed to the championship with 30 games, 13 wins, 6 losses, an ERA of 3.31, 177 innings, and 137 strikeouts. After the season, LG rewarded his performance by re-signing all foreign players.

However, this year was different. Chirinos struggled with 8 games, 2 wins, 3 losses, an ERA of 6.68, 33⅔ innings, and 28 strikeouts. As the champion foreign investor, they waited for a rebound, but all they got was an overload of the bullpen.

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*This content was translated by AI.