Per Dan KBO (on Twitter), Twins pitcher Pat Dean has signed with the KIA Tigers in the KBO (Korean Baseball Organization). Dean was the Twins 3rd round pick in 2010 out of Boston College. He quickly got to AA and then spent about four years at that level. He had a terrific 2015 in Rochester and was placed on the 40-man roster. He was promoted to the Twins by the end of April and made a few starts. Overall, he went 1-6 with a 6.28 ERA with the big league club. His one win came in a late May start in Seattle, beating Felix Hernandez. 

 

Best Wishes, Pat!

 

 

If you happen to know Korean, here is more on the story:

 

http://www.tigers.co.kr/news/news_view.asp?seq=321958

 

 

Good Luck, Pat!

If you can't read Korean, here's the best translation:

 

KIA Tigers had success attracting new foreign pitcher to 2017 season.

KIA Tigers pitcher Pat Dean, 27 days foreigners entered into a contract (Pat Dean. Jwatu lefthanded 1989 born) and total $ 900,000.

US Pat Dean, who has the physique and height 186cm, weight 88kg with left-hander, played for one season, seven seasons in the minor leagues in the major leagues.

In Major League Baseball has recorded one win and six losses trips 6.31 ERA in 19 games, was the minor league record of 51 wins 57 losses, then 4.12 ERA in 154 games over seven seasons.

Pat Dean this season, the Minnesota Twins ttwideon affiliated with Triple-A Rochester Red Wings team affiliation was also digested gotta promoted to the major league starting rotation in May.

Pat Dean and speak to mix a variety of breaking balls, etc. 140km seconds? Based on the mid-single slider, fastball, changeup, curve, getting the ball control is excellent rating. Especially good breaking ball pitches and balance each, the assessment that there is no relief.

Meanwhile, Pat Dean is expected to receive a medical check-coming 29th.

I asked Dan a little bit about how many players from other countries a KBO team can have. He responded:

 

"KBO teams are allowed  to have three foreign players per team. One must be a position player. So most teams go two pitchers and one bat. It used to be only two foreign players but KBO increased it a few years ago."

Good choice by him. He gets good money, sees a new country and gets to keep playing baseball, not bad at all. 

He made out well.. Apparently they didn't watch Him

It's a good money move. And puts you in a possible better position to come back towards a major league contract, or may like it over there. If you have the ability ti live in a foreign country and play baseball. Do it. Maybe Byung-Ho Park was a secret recruiter over here!

Not bad at all, compared to another MiLB contract...

 

Albers played there a couple years ago with not that much success (close to 6.00 ERA)

Best of luck to him. Not many people can say they pitched in the MLB.

 

Looking at the game log, he had way more good outings than bad. But when he had bad outings, they were really bad.  There are definitely some gems in there. And I was at his first MLB start!

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/statsd.aspx?playerid=11350&position=P 

 

I will remember both Pat Deans ERA and the Pat Dean era fondly!

Edited November 28, 20169 yr by King

The difference between a solid AAA pitcher, a AAAA pitcher and a back of the rotation MLB pitcher is so minute. 

 

But this is a good deal for him. He likely would have make $60-100,000 in MiLB in 2017. Maybe he gets some cups of coffee. Here, he's guaranteed #900,000. Kind of hard to say no to that. 

 

 

After Seth broke down the financials, it's a no brainer for Pat to head overseas... Good luck to him. Who knows, maybe he can pull off what Eric Thames is trying to do this year.... Leave the MLB as a non-prospect, go overseas and hit 40-50 HRs a season, and come back looking to get a few million bucks. 

 

Not bad at all, compared to another MiLB contract...

 

Albers played there a couple years ago with not that much success (close to 6.00 ERA)

They are not big on defense over there. His 5.89 ERA put him in the top half of the pitchers in the league.  

He will be back at AAA next year, so we may yet see him again if things remain disastrous.  

Former Twin Kris Johnson just signed a three-year extension for around $13 million, after two brilliant seasons with the Carp.

 

 

After Seth broke down the financials, it's a no brainer for Pat to head overseas... Good luck to him. Who knows, maybe he can pull off what Eric Thames is trying to do this year.... Leave the MLB as a non-prospect, go overseas and hit 40-50 HRs a season, and come back looking to get a few million bucks. 

Dean is probably an unlikely candidate to hit 40-50 HRs a season.  Perhaps he could allow that many, though!

So we complete the trade - Pat Dean for Park!  Who wins?

At least Dean is signing this deal under his own power as a true free agent.  It was hard to embrace many of the Twins recent moves to Asia (Albers, Johnson, attempts with Colabello and Vargas) because the players were sold by the club, without getting an honest shot to catch on with other North American clubs first.

congrats and good luck to him!

 

At least Dean is signing this deal under his own power as a true free agent.  It was hard to embrace many of the Twins recent moves to Asia (Albers, Johnson, attempts with Colabello and Vargas) because the players were sold by the club, without getting an honest shot to catch on with other North American clubs first.

 

Has any other team sold players off like this?  It seems underhanded as you say. 

 

Has any other team sold players off like this?  It seems underhanded as you say. 

It happens quite regularly. I assume that it would never happen without the consent of the player. Most of the time the player agrees to the deal with the KBO/NPB team, and the team agrees to let them go.

 

Otherwise, you would get reactions like this 

Edited December 5, 20169 yr by King

 

It happens quite regularly. I assume that it would never happen without the consent of the player. Most of the time the player agrees to the deal with the KBO/NPB team, and the team agrees to let them go.

 

Otherwise, you would get reactions like this 

 

I know players go to the KBO.  I think the usual course is via free agency.  What are some other examples of teams selling players to the KBO?