Ko Woo-seok finally declared his challenge to advance to the ML, Cha Myung-seok, the general manager of ‘Fierce Interest in the Beauty’ said, “Decided after reporting above.” The ball went to LG now

LG Twins closer Ko Woo-seok, 25, has finally announced his intention to try out for the major leagues. The ball is now in the LG Twins’ court. “After reporting the above, we decided to give an answer to Go Woo-seok’s side within a few days,” said LG president Cha Myung-seok.

On the afternoon of the 16th, Cha Myung-seok met with Ko Woo-seok’s agent, Rico Agency, where he told the team that he wanted to play in the major leagues. After hearing this, Cha Myung-seok said, “I understand,” and decided to report to the higher-ups (group) and give a reply.

Speaking to Star News on the afternoon of the 16th, Cha said, “Go Woo-seok told me that he wanted to try to enter the major leagues through the posting system. I said okay. There is nothing I can decide at this point. I will report to the higher-ups and give an answer to Go Woo-seok’s side within a few days.”

Earlier, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said on Friday, “We received a request from the Major League Baseball (MLB) Secretariat for an identity check on LG’s Go Woo-seok and Kiwoom Lee Jung-hoo on the 14th.” “The players informed us that they are members of the LG Twins and Kiwoom Heroes clubs, respectively.”굿모닝토토 주소

An identity request inquiry from the Major League Baseball office literally means that they simply want to verify the official status of a player. It’s important to note that this doesn’t necessarily mean that a player is guaranteed to sign with a major league team.

In fact, Lee has already expressed his desire to play in the major leagues after the 2022 season. He played the 2023 season as if it was his last year in the majors. Go Woo-seok, however, is a bit different. He had never made it clear that he wanted to play overseas, so the fact that he was asked by the MLB office to check his status could mean that there were teams interested in him.

Go Woo-seok is eligible to play overseas after this season. In addition to the 100 days of registration in the KBO in 2017, he fulfilled 175 days in 2018, 192 days in 2019, 153 days in 2020, 183 days in 2021, 193 days in 2022, and 176 days in 2023. Add to that 60 days from the 2019 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12 tournament, 10 days from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021, 10 days from the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March, and 25 days from the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, and you have the makings of a major league player through the posting system. Go, who will be eligible for free agency after the 2024 season, can only travel to the United States through the posting system. Therefore, he needs LG’s permission to fulfill his dream.

The U.S. media has also been following the story closely. Major League Baseball Trade Rumors (MLBTR), which focuses on Major League Baseball transfers, explained on Saturday that “background checks are a formal process that major league clubs go through when they are interested in a player for possible trade.” “LG has not yet publicly announced that it will trade Go Woo-seok to a major league club, despite the fact that major league clubs are interested in him,” the outlet said.

“The 25-year-old closed out the Korean Series this season for the LG Twins, who won their first championship in 29 years. He spent the last five seasons as LG’s closer, posting 139 saves, a 30.2 percent strikeout rate, a 10 percent walk rate, a 60 percent ground ball induction rate, and a 2.39 ERA. In 2023, he was limited by a back injury, but still posted a 3.86 ERA, 31.1% strikeout rate, 11.6% walk rate, and a staggering 65.8% ground ball induction rate in 44 innings pitched.”

MLBTR writes, “To be clear, a request for a background check is not a definitive announcement that a player will soon be in the major leagues. The LG Twins have yet to publicly announce their intention to post Go Woo-seok, despite the obvious interest from major league clubs. For example, Na Sung-beom, who previously played for the NC Dinos, applied for a posting two years ago, but ultimately returned to his original team after an agreement was unsuccessful. Also two years ago, Na Sung-bum, who played for the NC Dinos, also returned to his original team after negotiations failed. He is currently playing for the KIA Tigers.”

Go, who has already received military service benefits, throws a hard fastball that tops 150 kilometers. This makes him a tricky pitcher for opposing teams. The question is whether his fastball will work in the major leagues. “Go is still an interesting name to keep on the radar for MLB fans,” the outlet wrote, “He’s also fairly young, like Lee Jung-hoo and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. In the KBO, he had a fastball that touched the mid-90s (144.8 mph). In the Korean Series, he consistently touched 94-96 mph (about 151.3-154.5 kilometers).”

The outlet also noted the special relationship between Go and Lee. In January, Go Woo-seok tied the knot with Lee’s sister, Lee Ga-hyun, making them part of the same family. Lee’s father is Lee Jong-beom, the LG Twins’ first base coach who made Korean baseball history. It would be a big deal for Go Woo-seok and Lee Jung-hoo to play in the major leagues side by side. MLBTR explains, “Go Woo-seok and Lee Jung-hoo are brother-in-law and sister-in-law, but they are not particularly related in terms of reaching the major leagues. If they played for the same team, they might prefer to cheer for each other in close proximity, but that’s pure speculation. The most important thing for a player in a free agent signing is the length of the contract and the financial terms.”

A graduate of Galsancho, Yangcheonjoong, and Chungam High Schools, LG’s Ko Woo-seok was drafted by the LG Twins in the first round in 2017 and has served as their closer ever since. He has appeared in 354 games over seven seasons, compiling a 19-26 record, 139 saves and six shutouts with a 3.18 ERA. In 368 career innings pitched, he has allowed 305 hits (29 home runs), 163 walks, 401 strikeouts, and 145 runs (130 earned). In 2022, he led the league in saves with 42. This season, he appeared in 44 games, going 3-8 with 15 saves and a 3.68 ERA. The Major League Baseball is the ultimate stage for any baseball player. Already established as one of the best closers in the KBO, will Go Woo-seok be able to pitch on a major league mound next season?