[Official Announcement] Baek-ui Jonggun Go Woo-seok returns to LG for one year at 500 million won... Receives 150 million won for three months: "I will pitch for the team's victory"

*This content was translated by AI.

Go Woo-seok (28), once the KBO's top closer, has finally returned to LG Twins. LG showed maximum respect for the closer's resolve to return in white clothes.

On the 2nd, LG officially announced: "We have completed a one-year contract with pitcher Go Woo-seok at an annual salary of 500 million won and finalized his player registration. As he is returning mid-season, he will receive 150 million won for the remaining three months of the season."

It further stated: "Go Woo-seok contributed to LG's first championship in 29 years as the team's closer during the 2023 season. He has gained valuable experience on the U.S. stage and returned. We expect him to be a significant boost to LG Twins' pitching staff for the remainder of this regular season."

This move was anticipated. On the 29th last month, Go Woo-seok was designated for assignment (DFA) by the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB) to call up Walker Jenkins, the club's top prospect outfielder. No team expressed interest in acquiring Go during the waiver period, leaving him with the choice to become a free agent or remain with the Triple-A affiliate, the Saint Paul Saints.

However, Go Woo-seok declared minor league free agency on the 30th last month and boarded a flight to Korea, making his return to LG highly likely. On the 1st, LG General Manager Cha Myeong-seok told StarNews: "We plan to sign him for a three-month contract covering the remainder of the season. Go himself has entrusted the contract terms to the club, and we intend to treat him accordingly."

With Go Woo-seok's return, LG, whose pitching mound had crumbled, gained reinforcements like an army of thousands. As of the pre-game on September 2, LG held a record of 65 wins, 1 draw, and 51 losses, sitting alone in third place. In the first half, they relied on Son Ju-young as closer and fought hard for first place, but foreign pitchers failed to perform their roles, overloading the bullpen and frequently allowing big innings and comeback losses.

Especially after starting pitchers were pulled, it became difficult to maintain stability even with closer Son Ju-young, creating a need for a reliable pitcher. Go Woo-seok is evaluated as the ideal candidate in this regard. After graduating from Chungam High School, he was selected first overall by LG in the 2017 KBO Rookie Draft and has recorded 354 games, 19 wins, 26 losses, 6 holds, 139 saves, an ERA of 3.18, 368⅓ innings pitched, and 401 strikeouts in his KBO career.

He served as LG's closer from 2019 and led the KBO League with 42 saves in the 2022 season. In 2023, he recorded 15 saves in 44 games and was instrumental in securing the championship by pitching the final inning of Game 5 of the Korean Series. Shortly after winning the title, he signed a maximum $9.4 million (approximately 12.9 billion won) contract for 2+1 years with the San Diego Padres via the posting system to challenge in Major League Baseball.

However, he faced numerous setbacks, including being traded to the Miami Marlins for 1-4, undergoing two DFAs, and moving through the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota. After overcoming hardships shuttling between Double-A and Triple-A, he finally made his dream MLB debut on July 10 last year as a member of the Minnesota Twins. With this, Go Woo-seok became the 30th player overall and the 16th Korean pitcher to reach the big leagues since Park Chan-ho in 1994, and the first since Yang Hyeon-jong (then with the Texas Rangers) in 2021 — a five-year gap for Korean pitchers. He appeared three more times before being released, finishing his MLB career with no wins or losses in four games, an ERA of 9.00, and 5 strikeouts in 4 innings.

Having gained rich experience both in Korea and the U.S., Go Woo-seok is expected to serve as a setup man ahead of closer Son Ju-young for the remainder of the season. LG Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop had previously indicated that Son Ju-young would remain the closer despite Go's potential return.

Participation in the postseason is not possible. According to Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) regulations, only players registered with a team by July 31 are eligible for that year's postseason. However, given LG's fierce competition for first place — trailing by 5.5 games and second place by 5 games — Go Woo-seok's return is expected to provide significant help.

Go Woo-seok stated: "I am grateful to the fans who have consistently offered passionate support whether I was in Korea or in the U.S. Although not many games remain this season, I will do my best to pitch for the team's victory in the remaining games."

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*This content was translated by AI.