[Official] 'Shock': Ko Woo-seok faces another sudden dismissal! Designated for Assignment (DFA) processed; even a return to LG was rejected—what happens next?

*This content was translated by AI.

After serving as the KBO League's top closer before stepping onto the MLB stage, Ko Woo-seok (28) has once again been designated for assignment (DFA), resulting in his removal from the 40th-man roster.

Ko Woo-seok now faces a choice: seek a new team with better conditions or remain with Minnesota's Triple-A affiliate, Saint Paul, while still on the 40th-man roster exclusion list and continue pitching.

On the 29th (Korean time), the Minnesota Twins announced via their official channel: "To make room for Walker Jenkins, our top organizational prospect outfielder, in the 40th-man roster, we have designated right-handed pitcher Ko Woo-seok for assignment. Outfielder Allen Roden was also optioned to Triple-A (remaining on the 40th-man roster)."

Minnesota played Chicago White Sox at their home stadium, Target Field, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, at 9:10 a.m. local time that day. Jenkins started as the ninth hitter and center fielder, making his Big League debut. Recently, Byron Buxton's hip injury had worsened, creating a vacancy in the outfield.

DFA is one of the procedures used in Major League Baseball to modify or terminate the contract between a club and a player. Once designated for assignment, a player is immediately removed from the 40th-man roster and automatically placed on waivers. If another team claims Ko Woo-seok during the waiver period, he can rejoin the league wearing that team's uniform. However, if no team shows interest, he must either be sent down to the minor leagues or be released.

Meanwhile, Ko Woo-seok has been playing baseball in the United States for three consecutive years.

He has already experienced all the trials and tribulations of life in America, becoming a veteran. Ko's pursuit of an MLB career officially began in November 2023. Ahead of his move to the U.S., he stated, "Personally, I want to stay long enough to become proficient in English. Still, I hope to master it before leaving."

The first team to reach out to Ko Woo-seok was the San Diego Padres. San Diego signed him to a 2+1-year contract worth up to $9.4 million (approximately ₩12.9 billion at Hanwha). Ko became the seventh player to advance to MLB via the posting system from the KBO League.

However, his start was not smooth. Ko failed to make the opening day roster. His destination was Double-A, but he struggled there as well. Ultimately, in May of that year, San Diego traded Ko Woo-seok to the Miami Marlins. In exchange for Luis Aráez, a former batting champion acquired from Miami, San Diego received four players: Ko Woo-seok, prospect Jacob Marsh, Dylan Head, and Nathan Matorella—a 1-for-4 trade.

After being traded to Miami, Ko continued playing in Triple-A but faced further neglect from the team. In May of that year, Miami designated him for assignment (DFA). With no team showing interest in acquiring him, Ko chose to remain as a minor league player under the Miami organization. After being sent down to the minors, he kept pitching in Triple-A before being demoted to Double-A in July, concluding the 2024 season.

His pursuit of the Big League continued into the 2025 season. He challenged for a spot again as an invited spring training player. However, in February of that year, he suffered a fracture in his right index finger and struggled. Despite playing from Rookie League to Triple-A, Miami ultimately decided to release him without promoting him to the Big Leagues even once.

Nevertheless, Ko Woo-seok signed another minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers and continued his life in the U.S. After joining Detroit, he appeared in 14 games at Triple-A, recording 1 win, no losses, 1 hold, and 3 saves with an ERA of 4.29. Over a total of 21 innings, he allowed 19 hits (including 3 home runs), gave up 12 runs (10 earned), walked 1 batter, hit 1 batter, struck out 22 batters, posted a batting average against of 0.238, and recorded an on-base plus slugging per inning (WHIP) of 1.43.

Ahead of the 2026 season, Ko Woo-seok successfully signed with Detroit. However, Detroit also did not give him an opportunity to pitch in the Big Leagues. During this period, in April, his former team, LG Twins, extended a call-back offer. Team President Cha Myeong-seok personally traveled to the U.S. to persuade him, but Ko politely declined.

Then, another change came his way. Early last month, the Minnesota Twins reached out to Ko Woo-seok. It was a cash trade: instead of sending players to Detroit, they paid cash to acquire him. Reports indicate that the deal included a clause for potential MLB call-up.

And on July 10, he finally made his dream Big League debut. In a home game against the Cleveland Guardians at Target Field, with his team trailing 2-4 in the bottom of the 9th inning, Ko entered as the fourth relief pitcher, pitching one inning and allowing 1 hit (including 1 home run), striking out 1 batter, and giving up 1 run. With this performance, Ko became the 30th player overall since Park Chan-ho in 1994 and the 16th Korean pitcher to reach the Big Leagues—five years after Yang Hyeon-jong (then with the Texas Rangers) in 2021.

After that, Ko appeared on the Big League mound three more times. On July 12, facing the Los Angeles Angels in his second MLB appearance, he pitched a scoreless inning and recorded his first hold. On July 20, against the Chicago Cubs, with his team trailing 1-10 in the bottom of the 8th, he entered as a reliever, pitching one inning while allowing 2 hits, walking 1 batter, striking out 2 batters, and throwing a scoreless frame. Although he nearly brought on a bases-loaded situation, he allowed no runs, demonstrating excellent relief capabilities. Then, on July 21, in a game against Cleveland, with his team trailing 3-10 in the bottom of the 7th, he entered as the fourth reliever, pitching one inning while allowing 4 hits (including 1 home run), striking out 2 batters, and giving up 3 runs (all earned).

That was it. His MLB record stands at 4 appearances over 4 innings: 8 hits allowed (2 home runs), 2 walks, 5 strikeouts, 4 runs allowed (4 earned), with an ERA of 9.00. Once again, his path led back to the minor leagues. He was optioned to Saint Paul while remaining on the 40th-man roster. During this process, discussions about returning to the KBO resurfaced, but Ko's stance remained firm.

Ko Woo-seok returned to Triple-A and faced further twists and turns. On July 25, after being demoted, he was unexpectedly ejected for violating a foreign substance regulation before his appearance against the Columbus Clippers (a Cleveland Guardians affiliate) in the 2026 Minor League Triple-A season. Although initially suspended for 10 games by the minor league office, the penalty was eventually reduced to 8 games. Since then, Ko has continued appearing in Triple-A games. However, this year at Saint Paul, his Triple-A record stands at 8 appearances with 2 wins, 1 loss, and an ERA of 12.54—a somewhat poor performance. In this context, he had no choice but to accept the team's DFA decision.

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*This content was translated by AI.