Detroit: South Korean pitcher Go Woo-suk has signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers, just a week after being released by the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, the Triple-A team of the Miami Marlins. The Tigers announced that Go will join their Triple-A affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Go was released by Jacksonville after recording a 1.59 ERA over 5 2/3 innings in five appearances. He had been recovering from a broken index finger sustained in February during the Miami Marlins' spring training. This injury had prevented him from competing for a bullpen spot on the Opening Day roster.
Go initially moved to the United States in January 2024, signing a two-year contract with the San Diego Padres after seven seasons with the LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). During his time in the KBO, Go led all relievers with 139 saves and ranked second with 334 strikeouts from 2019 to 2023. Despite his potential, Go did not make the Padres' Opening Day roster and started the season in the minors, later being traded to the Marlins in May 2024.
The Marlins kept him in the minors, and his release sparked speculation about a potential return to South Korea. However, due to the posting process with the Padres, the LG Twins retained rights to him, meaning a return to the KBO would have required him to rejoin the Twins. Instead, Go opted to pursue opportunities in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Before signing Go, the Tigers led the American League (AL) Central with a 49-30 record, the best in MLB. While they had the third-best ERA among AL teams at 3.50, their bullpen ERA was only 10th in the league at 3.81, with their relievers ranking last in the AL in strikeouts per nine innings at 7.68.
Go is also known for being the brother-in-law of San Francisco Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo.