The Toronto Blue Jays are once again signing a pitcher from the KBO, expanding a new route for strengthening their roster. The Jays Journal, which mainly reports on Toronto news, reported on the 8th (Korean time) that Toronto has started to produce clear results in the KBO market by signing KBO MVP Cody Ponce.
Toronto previously tasted success by signing Eric Lauer, who played for the KIA Tigers last year. On top of that, they accelerated roster reinforcement by adding Ponce, who won KBO MVP this season with a 17-1 record, a 2.04 earned run average and 252 strikeouts while playing for the Hanwha Eagles. The team signed Ponce to a three-year $30,000,000 contract.
The Jays Journal analyzed that Ponce had a 7.04 ERA with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021 and failed to establish himself on the U.S. stage, but became a completely different pitcher in the KBO, and that he is now expected to assume a key role in Toronto's starting rotation.
Ponce's arrival has raised the possibility of changes to Toronto's starting rotation. The outlet reported that some fans even mention the possibility of trading starting resources to bolster the heart of the lineup, and that trade rumors involving José Berríos are among those possibilities.
Toronto also has a second success story from the KBO market. Lauer, who played for the KIA Tigers last year, shuffled between AAA and the bullpen early in the season before moving into the rotation in June and emerging as a core contributor with a 9-2 record and a 3.18 ERA.
There is another connection. In September, Toronto signed Moon Seo-jun, becoming the club's first international signing from Korea. The 18-year-old prospect Moon Seo-jun is seen as a long-term developmental asset, and the club plans to carry out a "customized development plan" that includes developing a variety of pitch types and redefining pitching philosophy.
The Jays Journal assessed that Toronto is emerging as an attractive team in the KBO market based on the success of KBO-origin or KBO-associated players such as Ponce, Lauer and Moon Seo-jun. It added that Ryu Hyun-jin, who was also satisfied with his time in Toronto, may have had a positive influence on the recent signings.
The outlet projected that if these three succeed, more KBO-origin players may consider going to Toronto in the future, and that Toronto could build a "KBO pipeline."
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