Starting with Eric Peddy (Chicago White Sox), who was the MVP of the KBO last year, and Merrill Kelly (Arizona Diamondbacks), who became the ace of the big league, Ben Lively (Clineland Guardians) and Brooks Raley (New York Mets) are taking one place on the major league roster.
There are names that stand out in particular. For “foreigners from Hanwha” Mike Tuckman (Chicago Cubs) and Birch Smith (Miami Marlins), Tuckman has worn Hanwha’s uniforms in 2022 and Smith in 2023.
Tuckman played all games in 2022, hitting .289 with 12 homers, 43 RBIs and 19 steals, and OPS (on-base plus slugging) 0.796. The team remained at the bottom, but Tuckman did his part.
However, Hanwha did not renew its contract with Tuckman after the end of the season. It was because the salary was not adjusted, and above all, it needed a “big gun” foreign player. That’s how Tuckman returned to the U.S.
Smith was named the opener for his quality pitching in exhibition games in 2023. However, he threw two ⅔ in that game before voluntarily stepping down due to an injury. This was his first and last official appearance in the KBO League.
Hanwha waited for about two weeks, but Smith couldn’t come back and eventually decided to release him.
The situation was somewhat different, but the two players, who have something in common in Hanwha uniforms, have been active since returning to the Major League.
After signing a contract with the Chicago Cubs, Tuckman played in 108 games to establish himself as a starting member. He had a batting average of 0.252 with eight homers, 48 RBIs and seven steals.
He has firmly maintained his starting position from the beginning of this season. In 34 games so far, he has a batting average of 0.269, three homers and 10 RBIs, and his on-base percentage has exceeded .400 for the first time in his career.토토사이트먹튀
Hanwha’s aftertaste was bitter as Brian O’Greddie, who was recruited in 2023, returned to failure after giving up Tuckman. Jonathan Peraza, who was recruited this year, is performing well, ranking first in home runs, so his stomach is less bitter.
Having barely played due to injury last year, Smith is showing an unexpected performance by signing a contract with Miami this year. Considering that Miami is one of the weakest teams in the league with two wins, no loss, and an ERA of 2.95, it is surprising that the team is close to winning.
Smith spent most of his Major League career as a bullpen pitcher, so it can be said that he wore “fitting clothes.” Hanwha had confidence in Smith’s transition to the starting lineup, but it turned into a disaster.
Fortunately, he has been playing with Ricardo Sanchez for two years, who was hired as a substitute for Smith. Sanchez renewed his contract after posting seven wins, eight losses and a 3.78 ERA as a substitute last year, and is now cruising well with two wins and no losses with a 2.39 ERA (as of Tuesday before the game).