The foreign one-two punch that powered Lotte’s starting lineup in the second half of the season is in danger of being dismantled. The team has re-signed Aaron Wilkerson, but Charlie Barnes’ possible return to the major leagues has raised questions.
Wilkerson, who joined the Lotte organization in July as a replacement for Dan Straily, went 7-2 with a 2.26 ERA in 13 appearances, especially as a starter with 11 quality starts.
Barnes had a successful rookie season last year, going 12-12 with a 3.62 ERA in 31 starts. This season, he has taken the mound 30 times, going 11-10 with a 3.28 ERA.
New Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung
“Barnes and Wilkerson are pitchers who have stable pitches and can run a game. I’ve seen a lot of foreign pitchers in my career, but even if you bring them in with good data and records, they can’t adapt, and if you make the wrong first move, you get bad results. I think Barnes and Wilkerson are stable,” he said, adding that he hoped they would stay together next year.
Lotte re-signed Wilkerson for a total of $950,000 ($150,000 signing bonus, $600,000 annual salary, $200,000 incentive).
“I’m excited to continue my career with the Lotte Giants next year, and I hope to help the newly appointed manager Kim Tae-hyung achieve his goal of winning a championship,” Wilkerson said after signing. 먹튀검증토토사이트 He continued, “I can’t wait to get back to Sajik Stadium and take the mound with the fans. I will prepare well in the remaining time so that I can be stronger than my opponent.”
Despite the success in retaining Wilkerson, it’s unclear if Barnes will be re-signed.
MLB Network reporter John Morosi tweeted on Wednesday, “Former Minnesota Twins pitcher Charlie Barnes is a free agent after spending two years with the Lotte Giants of the Korean Baseball Organization. He had a 3.28 ERA in 30 starts this season.”
“Lotte wants to keep Barnes, but now that he’s a free agent, we expect major league teams to be interested,” Morosi added.
Barnes could follow in the footsteps of Merrill Kelly, Chris Flexen, and Brooks Reilly in seeking a return to the major leagues based on his performance in the KBO. Barnes’ potential big league turnaround has led to speculation that Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yakult Swallows Dylan Peters could end up in a Lotte uniform.