It’s been a long time coming, but the Kia Tigers have finally acquired an “active big leaguer. They acquired right-handed pitcher James Nail, 31, from the St. Louis Cardinals’ 40-man roster for $250,000. The release and transfer process was completed with the player’s consent.

KIA announced the signing of right-hander Nail as a new foreign pitcher on Nov. 19. The deal included a $200,000 signing bonus, a $350,000 salary, and a $150,000 option, plus a $250,000 transfer fee, for a total of $950,000. The money went to Nail’s former team, St. Louis.

Nail was an “active big leaguer” on the Cardinals’ 40-man roster. Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 20th round (608th overall) of the 2015 draft, Neal became a minor league free agent after the 2021 season and made his big league debut in 2022. Over the next two years, he appeared in all 17 games in relief, pitching 24 1/3 innings and posting a 7.40 ERA.

Despite his lack of success in the big leagues, 바카라사이트 he went 49-37 with a 4.01 ERA in 245 games (96 starts, 742⅓ innings) and 10 saves in eight minor league seasons. He’s been used extensively as a starter and middle reliever. He wasn’t bad at Triple-A Memphis last year, going 5-3 with a 3.97 ERA in 31 games (3 starts, 59 innings) and three saves.

Nail was on the 40-man roster as a mound reserve, but not a full-time big leaguer.

At a time when he needed a turning point in his career, he decided to move to South Korea.

MLB Trade Rumors also broke the news of Nail’s move to Korea, stating, “The move was made with Nail’s consent. It’s a win-win deal. ‘Neill, who turns 31 next month, has signed the biggest contract of his career so far.’ ‘Neill, who has a 7.40 career ERA in the majors, wasn’t sure if he would make the 40-man roster next season. Even if he stayed on the 40-man roster, he would spend most of his time at Triple-A Memphis. Spending most or all of the season in the minors would have meant he would have earned less than the guaranteed amount he signed with the KBO team,” he explained.

Nail, who bounced between the majors and minors the past two years, was paid $107,688 in 2022 and $154,840 in 2023. For Park, coming to South Korea for $550,000 guaranteed and $700,000 max is better financially right now. For Nail, who hasn’t made much money in the past, the move to Korea was motivation enough.

MLBTR went on to say, “Nail will likely be in the starting rotation in Korea. He’s been a reliever for the past four years, but could be in the starting rotation by 2019. KBO teams are allowed to carry two foreign pitchers,” adding, “KIA acquired a player with impressive Triple-A experience, while St. Louis received cash for a player they don’t know when he will be placed on waivers. If Nail pitches well in the KBO, he could attract interest from a major league club in a year or two.

With a 40-man roster spot open after releasing Nail, St. Louis reacquired veteran infielder Matt Carpenter on Tuesday to bolster its outfield.

Of Nail, the Reds said, “He has excellent stuff and has allowed few walks throughout his career. His fastball averaged 149 mph and topped out at 153 mph in the minors last year. In particular, he has a powerful curveball, and his sinker has good movement, and he has a high ability to induce ground balls. Kia general manager Shim Jae-hak, who led the signing of Nail, said, “Nail is currently on the 40-man major league roster. We decided to sign him because he has played many games as a starting pitcher in college and the minor leagues and has a variety of pitches. We look forward to working with him to help him adapt to the KBO and become an integral part of our starting staff.”

With the signing, KIA became the last of the 10 KBO clubs to sign a foreign player.

After signing right-hander Will Crowe, a four-season Major League Baseball veteran, on July 7 for a total of $1 million ($200,000 signing bonus, $600,000 annual salary, $200,000 option), the club added Nail to create a right-handed one-two punch.

Crowe, who averages 95 mph and has a changeup and sweeper as his pitches, is expected to be a frontline starter, but is a risk as he was placed on the 60-day disabled list with shoulder soreness in late April last year. Nail is a durable pitcher who has only been on the disabled list once (in May 2017) since joining the organization in 2015, so he could compensate for Crowe’s risk.

KIA has been plagued by poor performances and injuries from foreign pitchers in the last three years, starting in 2021. 토토사이트 추천 They’ve taken a more cautious approach to signing foreign pitchers than ever before, and while it’s taken time, they’ve assembled a Crowe-Nail one-two punch. If the two right-handers perform above average, KIA will have a formidable left-right zigzag starting rotation with native lefties Yang Hyun-jong, Lee Yi-ri, and Yoon Young-chul. If the starting rotation stabilizes, they have the potential to maximize the power of their bats, which is the best firepower in the league, and become a title contender that threatens LG.