Friday, January 10, 2014

Yoon Suk-min and Kia Tigers Meet: Nothing Happens


From Sports Dong-A, January 10, link:


Translator: Simon Kim

Kia Tigers pitcher Yoon Suk-min has been unable to sign a contract with a Major League Baseball team

Yoon still wishes to pitch in Major Leagues

Yoon’s agent Scott Boras is optimistic

Yoon will return to the U.S. soon

“We’ve met but there’s been no progress. It’s a frustrating situation.”

The Kia Tigers have met with free agent Yoon Suk-min regarding a possible return to the team but there has been no progress.

“We’ve met with Yoon and talked a lot. We’ve told him what we think. But it seems like he is still determined to go to the Major Leagues at this stage. We are choosing to respect his decision like we always have. But it is a frustrating situation,” a Kia team representative announced on the 9th of January.

Yoon left for the United States to pursue his dream of pitching in the major leagues right after the end of the 2013 season. But he returned to Korea without a contract on the 22nd of December for his winter holiday. Yoon is still in the country and his former team has declared that they will make sure that Yoon pitches for the Tigers if Yoon decides to stay in the country. The meeting took place for this reason but Kia was only re-confirmed of Yoon’s desire to go the United States.

There has been no progress with Yoon pitching in the Major Leagues but time is running out and a lot of factors are coming into play. Kia’s rivals in the Korean Baseball Organization have contacted Yoon and there has been interest from Japan as well. Pitching in Japan has become a possibility for Yoon.

But from Kia believes that nothing has changed from Yoon’s point of view.

“Yoon’s determined to ‘run’ in the Major Leagues. Pitchers are being signed later this off-season than last season. After (highly sought free agent Japanese Rakuten Eagles pitcher) Tanaka Masahiro is signed, Yoon should also be able to find a team as well. There should be good news soon,” reported a representative of the Boras Corporation, Yoon’s agency.

Yoon’s December return to Korea was kept a secret and he will be returning to the U.S. shortly. The Boras Corporation representative says that Yoon will leave Korea “quietly” like he returned in December.

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