Korean RHP Go signs with Padres on 2-year deal

The San Diego Padres have signed Korean relief pitcher Woo Suk Go to a two-year contact, the team announced Wednesday.

The deal is worth $4.5 million, a source told ESPN, confirming a report by the New York Post.

Go, a 25-year-old right-hander, spent the past five years as the closer for the LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization, accumulating 139 saves and a 2.39 ERA from 2019 to 2023. With the Padres, he’ll join a back-end bullpen mix highlighted by Robert Suarez and Yuki Matsui, the latter a Japanese left-hander signed to a five-year, $28 million deal two days before Christmas.

“We’re not going into this with any kind of roles yet,” general manager A.J. Preller said. “We’re getting as much talent and guys who have different looks as we can. When we get to spring training we’ll see how they adjust and throw the ball and understand how they will benefit the team.”

Go posted a 1.48 ERA and racked up a KBO-leading 42 saves in 2022, striking out 80 batters and issuing 21 walks in 60⅔ innings. He had a bit of a down year in 2023, his ERA rising to 3.68 and his WHIP going from 0.96 to 1.36. But he allowed only two home runs in 44 innings. Go works primarily with a mid- to high-90s fastball and a low-90s cutter but can also spin a devastating 12-to-6 breaking ball.

As part of the KBO posting system, the Padres will pay the LG Twins 20% of the guarantee of his contract, which amounts to $900,000. Go’s deal also includes a mutual option for 2026.

Go is married to the sister of South Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, who signed a six-year, $113 million deal with the San Francisco Giants last month.