Japan’s King Seok-woong earned a multi-year contract and made it to the major leagues. What will happen to South Korea’s King Seok-woong? The deadline is fast approaching.

On Nov. 21, Japanese media outlet Sportshochi reported that “Rakuten closer Yuki Matsui, 28, has reached a basic agreement with the San Diego Padres. It is expected to be a four-year, 3 billion yen (about 27.2 billion won) contract. The media outlet explained that a formal announcement will be made soon if there are no abnormalities in medical tests. In U.S. dollars, that’s about $21 million over four years.

Earlier, MLB Network’s John Morosi also reported, ‘San Diego has agreed to a multi-year deal with Japanese left-handed reliever Yuki Matsui,’ saying, “San Diego, which has made bolstering its pitching staff a priority in the offseason, sent Juan Soto to the New York Yankees and acquired four top pitching prospects. Matsui’s signing is in the same vein.

“According to sources, the St. Louis Cardinals also offered a three-year, 2 billion yen (approximately 18.3 billion won) deal, but San Diego’s terms were better. 안전놀이터 Matsui’s side put more weight on the length of the contract,” he said, adding, “San Diego was the first place I visited after traveling to the U.S. on Nov. 11. I visited the ballpark facilities and places that sell Japanese food. The warm climate and easy playing conditions, as well as the presence of Darvish Yu, with whom he fought in the WBC, had a big impact on his decision.

Matsui made his debut with the Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2014

He has compiled a record of 25-46, 236 saves, 76 holds and a 2.40 ERA in 501 games over 10 seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball. This year, he went 2-3 with a 1.57 ERA, 72 strikeouts, and a 0.89 WHIP in 59 games with eight saves. It was his third career save title, after winning last year’s (32 saves) and 2019’s (38 saves). He is also the youngest player in Nippon Professional Baseball to reach the 100- and 200-save milestones and has been a top-flight closer since his youth.

Matsui replaces Josh Hader, who will likely leave the organization as a free agent. Matsui will also be paired with Kim Ha-seong and will face the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani in the opening game of the MLB World Tour Seoul on March 20-21 next year. Ohtani recently signed a massive 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers. In Japan, the matchup between Matsui and Ohtani was also noted, with Sportshochi reporting that “Matsui went 1-for-2 with a walk, a hit and a strikeout against Ohtani in Japan. Matsui also said, “I’m a left-handed pitcher, so I think there’s a good chance of a matchup. I want to prepare properly to keep him in check.”

Meanwhile, what will happen to Ko Woo-seok, who, like Matsui, is trying to reach the major leagues after a stellar career as a closer in Korea? After completing his seventh season this year, he is eligible to challenge overseas through the posting system and has expressed his intention to the club. In his seven seasons, Ko has a 354-game career record of 19-26, 139 saves and six shutouts with a 3.18 ERA, and last year he finished as the league’s top closer with a 1.48 ERA and 42 saves.

This year, he was limited to a 3-8 record

15 saves and a 3.68 ERA in 44 games due to lingering injuries, including a neck and shoulder injury suffered at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March. He struggled in the Korean Series, going 1-1 with an 8.31 ERA in four games, but won his first championship ring after helping the team win its first title in 29 years, since 1994.

LG accepted Ko’s request to try out for the major leagues and began the posting process on May 5 after posting his name to the Major League Baseball office. The posting process began with Lee Jung-hoo, who signed a six-year, $113 million contract with the San Francisco Giants on Nov. 15.

However, Ko’s journey to the major leagues has not been so smooth. Earlier this month, Derek Gould of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported, “The St. Louis Cardinals have met with the agents of Yuki Matsui and Woo-seok Ko, two bullpen arms on the international free agent market, to discuss signing them. We can confirm that St. Louis was interested in Ko.

Matsui was the Cardinals’ first priority, but he signed with San Diego and the Cardinals were no longer a target.

So, are the Cardinals interested in Go Woo-Seok again? At this point, there is no clear indication from the local media. CBS Sports compared Matsui to Koo, saying, “He’s not as highly regarded, but he has the skills to help a major league club.

LG CEO Cha Myung-seok broke the news about Go Woo-seok’s move to the major leagues in the last communication broadcast of the year on the company’s YouTube channel (Eltube) on March 20. In response to fans’ questions about Go Woo-seok’s negotiations, 토토사이트 순위 Cha said, “I’m not sure how it’s going,” adding, “I met with Lee Ye-rae and Rico Sports Agency representative (Go Woo-seok’s agent) and asked them, and they said that the negotiation period is too short, so I don’t know if it will work, but several clubs are interested.”

However, “Both the agent and Ko Woo-seok are expressing that they won’t go unless they are treated satisfactorily,” he said, adding, “From my point of view, I hope they don’t go (laughs). If it’s a good deal, I’ll have to let them go, but I don’t think we’re making any progress. I don’t think the negotiations are formalized,” he said, explaining the current situation.

Both Go Woo-seok’s side and LG’s side are adhering to the stance that “you don’t go to the major leagues on the cheap”. For a contract of Matsui’s size, it’s fair to say that he’s been treated well as a relief pitcher. The deadline for his article is January 3, 2024 at 5 p.m. ET and January 4, 2024 at 7 a.m. KST.