Many specialists and talent evaluators have tabbed the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) league as somewhere in the Double-A level, comparing it to America.
Still, doing really well in the KBO after years of struggling in MLB might mean another chance in the majors.
That’s the case of Erick Fedde, who was non-tendered by the Washington Nationals ahead of the 2023 season and signed with the NC Dinos of the KBO.
There, he became one of the best pitchers in the league under a $1 million salary.
The New York Mets are, reportedly, in the hunt for his services and remain very much involved in the race to sign him.
“Free agent pitcher Erick Fedde could finalize a deal as soon as today. The Mets are one of the teams involved but are not aware if they are one of the finalists. Sounds like they will find out soon. @Feinsand first on Mets and Fedde,” Mets insider Andy Martino tweeted.
Free agent pitcher Erick Fedde could finalize a deal as soon as today. The Mets are one of the teams involved but are not aware if they are one of the finalists. Sounds like they will find out soon. @Feinsand first on Mets and Fedde
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) December 5, 2023
Fedde led the KBO in wins (20), strikeouts (209), and ERA (2.00) this season, earning regular-season MVP honors.
As Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post wrote back in September, Fedde modified the shape of his breaking ball, changed the release point on his fastball, altered the grip on his changeup, and added a newly adopted sweeper to his repertoire.
So his excellent performance wasn’t exclusively a product of facing easier competition.
The Mets are looking at him to round out their rotation and give themselves more depth.
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