By Chris Brown / STL Baseball Today | @cbrown_STLBBT | Jan. 10, 2016, 9:51 am
Oh pitching for the Hanshin Tigers in 2014
UPDATE 1/11, 10:12 am: The Cardinals have scheduled a noon press conference, presumably to announce the signing of Oh.
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Updated 1/11, 9:04 am CT with reports of contract details:
Still looking to fortify the bullpen, John Mozeliak appears to have turned to the international market for his next offseason move.
As first reported by Daniel Kim of Korean outlet KBSn on Sunday, the Cardinals are close to signing veteran Korean reliever Seung-hwan Oh. The right-hander is expected to finalize a deal as early as Monday, when he’s scheduled to take a physical in St. Louis, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Terms of the deal have yet to be announced, although reports out of Korea (referenced by Kim) indicate Oh will receive a two-year contract worth up to $11 million with incentives, including a club option for 2018. The reports do not specify how much money in guaranteed in the deal.
Oh, 33, established himself as an elite closer during his eleven-year career with in the Korean Baseball Association and Japan’s Central League, posting a 1.81 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and 10.7 K/9 in 646 1/3 career innings while earning the nicknames “The Final Boss” (for his prowess as a closer) and “Stone Buddha” (for being unshaken and maintaining his composure on the mound).
Last season, in his second year with Japan’s Hanshin Tigers, Oh pitched to a 2.73 ERA over 69 1/3 innings while tallying 41 saves to bring his career mark to an impressive 357.
Unlike many other Asian players who’ve come to play Major League Baseball in the United States, Oh did not have to go through the posting process because his contract with Hanshin had expired, making him a free agent. Oh was thus free to sign with any team, and that team was not required to pay a posting fee.
Assuming he’s officially signed by the Cardinals, Oh will join a strong relief corps behind closer Trevor Rosenthal which is also expected to include Kevin Siegrist, Seth Maness, Jordan Walden, and Jonathon Broxton, who was signed to a two-year deal in December, among others.
Here is a video of Oh pitching for the Tigers in 2014.
Stay tuned for updates.
Feature image used under Creative Commons by user とらせん. No changes made. Image license.
