[Official] 'Lightning strike' Bae Ji-hwan released just six days after signing, notified of Designated for Assignment (DFA); eyeing KBO stage

*This content was translated by AI.

Bae Ji-hwan (27), a utility player for Major League Baseball's (MLB) Milwaukee Brewers, has been notified of Designated for Assignment (DFA·Designated for assignment) just one week after joining the team.

On the 16th (Korean time), the Milwaukee Brewers officially announced, "In acquiring utility player Jonathan Ornelas via a cash trade, we have placed Bae Ji-hwan on Designated for Assignment to create vacancies in the 40th-man roster and the 26th-man active roster."

This means he was removed from the team's lineup just six days after donning the Milwaukee uniform on the 10th.

Bae Ji-hwan signed a minor league contract with Milwaukee on the 10th and immediately made it onto the Big League roster. Before joining Milwaukee, he played 97 games for the Syracuse Mets, Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets this season, posting a .257 batting average, five home runs, 32 RBIs, 36 stolen bases, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.728.

On the day of his transfer, the 10th, Bae Ji-hwan entered as a pinch runner ahead of defensive duties in the top of the 7th inning to make his Big League return. Later, with the score tied at 3-3 in the bottom of the 7th and no outs with bases empty, he recorded a surprise bunt single and a stolen base, proving his presence. He then sat out on the 11th against San Diego. On the 12th, he started against San Diego, going 0-for-1 with one strikeout. To make matters worse, he showed defensive instability. Subsequently, he appeared in relief games on the 13th against San Diego and on the 16th against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

DFA is one of the procedures used in Major League Baseball to modify or terminate a contract between a club and a player. Once processed for DFA, Bae Ji-hwan was immediately removed from the MLB 40-man roster and automatically placed on waivers.

Bae Ji-hwan will now go through a seven-day waiver period. If another team claims him during this waiver window, he can don their uniform and play anew. However, if no team shows interest, he must either be sent down to the minor leagues with club approval or undergo a full release before seeking a new destination as a free agent.

Ultimately, Milwaukee made a swift decision to remove Bae Ji-hwan from the lineup. Ornelas, who took his place on the roster, is a utility resource capable of playing both infield and outfield defense. Immediately after announcing the trade, Milwaukee inserted Ornelas into the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers that day. The result was silence: 0-for-3 with one strikeout.

Bae Ji-hwan, who had been seeking new opportunities to survive until the end of the season, found himself on the brink again just six days after signing. Will Bae Ji-hwan receive a call from another Big League club and dramatically remain in the majors? Or will he leave the American stage and knock on the door of the KBO League?

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*This content was translated by AI.