Busan: The Lotte Giants announced Thursday they have signed former major league pitcher Vince Velasquez, aiming to secure their first postseason appearance in eight years. Velasquez, a 33-year-old right-hander from California, will earn US$330,000 for the remainder of this season.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Velasquez will replace Tucker Davidson in the Giants' rotation. Davidson, who departs in his debut season in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), recorded a 10-5 record with a 3.65 ERA over 22 starts. Despite Davidson's strong performance in recent games, his inconsistency in June and July led the team to seek more stability in their pitching staff.
Earlier in the season, the Giants replaced pitcher Charlie Barnes with Alec Gamboa, who has since emerged as one of the KBO's top starters. Gamboa boasts a 7-3 record with a 2.14 ERA and has struck out 75 batters in 67 1/3 innings.
Velasquez brings a wealth of experience with 144 major league starts. He has a 38-51 record and a 4.88 ERA in the majors, striking out 822 batters over 763 2/3 innings. His last MLB appearance was with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2023. After recovering from elbow surgery that sidelined him in 2024, Velasquez signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Guardians earlier this year and was playing for their Triple-A affiliate before joining the Giants. At Columbus, he posted a 5-4 record with a 3.42 ERA in 81 2/3 innings, with 95 strikeouts.
The Giants are optimistic about Velasquez's four-pitch mix, which includes a four-seam fastball, slider, knuckle curve, and changeup. They expect him to leverage his major league experience to contribute significantly in crucial games.
Currently, the Giants hold the third position among the 10 KBO clubs with a 58-45-3 record. They trail the league-leading Hanwha Eagles by four games and maintain a five-game lead over the fourth-placed SSG Landers. The Giants' pitching staff has the third-worst ERA in the KBO at 4.47 but ranks second in strikeouts with 873.