Reporter Kim Hee-joon = Wilmer Font (33), who played for SSG Landers, has made a new nest in San Diego Padres, a team belonging to Kim Ha-sung. 안전놀이터
MLB Trade Rumors, which mainly deals with major league (MLB) transfer news, reported on the 6th (Korean time) that San Diego signed a minor league contract with Font. The media said, “Font will participate in MLB spring camp and compete for entry into the roster.”
Font, who headed to the KBO League after finishing the 2020 season, challenges re-entry to the big leagues in three years.
Font, who made his big league debut with the Texas Rangers in 2012, played in the MLB from 2012 to 2013 and 2017 to 2020.
Font, who played six seasons in the big leagues with the Texas, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Mets, and Toronto Blue Jays, recorded a 5.82 ERA with 7 wins, 11 losses and 4 holds in 96 games.
Font only played in the big leagues from 2018 to 2020. He pitched in 48 games in 2019, going 4-5 with 2 holds and an earned run average of 4.48.
Font, who had been sluggish with an average ERA of 9.92 with 1 win, 3 losses and 2 holds in 21 games in Toronto in 2020, turned his eyes to the Asian stage after the season and signed with SSG.
In 2021, his first year in the KBO League, Font posted a decent 8-5 record with a 3.46 ERA in 25 games. He struggled with a cup injury and adaptation to the KBO League, but he played the role of an ace while SSG had a huge starting gap.
Font, which renewed the contract with SSG after the 2021 season, achieved a one-two punch with Kim Gwang-hyun last year after adapting. He played in 28 games with an average ERA of 13-6 and 2.69, contributing greatly to SSG’s combined victory.
Even after last season, SSG wanted to renew the contract, but Font refused to renew the contract, revealing his intention to re-challenge in the big leagues. Eventually, he was challenged to re-enter the MLB in San Diego.
MLB Trade Rumors said, “Font, who has shown outstanding performance as a starting pitcher in Korea, will deepen the depth of the starting rotation in San Diego, where there is a lot of uncertainty.”
San Diego has a one-two punch that leads to Darvish Yu and Joe Musgrove, but there is a question mark as Nick Martinez and Seth Lugo, who are expected to be starting pitchers, have not recently played as full-time starters.