SOUTH KOREA – The Kia Tigers have signed former big league pitcher Travis Blackley. The Australian national team hurler pitched in the farm systems of the New York Mets and Oakland A’s in 2010.
The 28-year-old left-hander was signed by the Seattle Mariners as an amateur free agent in 2000, and made his Mahor League debut on July 1, 2004. He made six starts and went 1-3 with a 10.04 ERA before missing the 2005 season due to injury.
Blackley made it back to “The Show” in 2007 with the San Francisco Giants (0-0, 7.27 ERA) before bouncing around the minor leagues and a short stint in the Mexican League.
LOTTE INKS VETERAN JOURNEYMAN
The Lotte Giants have announced the acquisition of veteran right-handed reliever Bryan Corey for the 2011 KBO season. The 37-year-old Californian played in the Japanese League this year with the Chiba Lotte Marines.
Corey, who was converted from a position player to a pitcher by the Detroit Tigers in 1995, made his Major League Baseball debut with the Arizona D-Backs in 1998. In parts of five Major League seasons, he compiled a 4-4 mark with a 5.13 ERA in 98 1/3 innings.
The journeyman pitcher has also pitched in the minor league systems for the Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Florida Marlins, Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox.
NEXEN TRADES YOUNG HURLER
The Nexen Heroes have dealt pitcher Goh Won-joon to the Lotte Giants for veteran reliever Lee Jeong-hoon and infielder Park Jeong-joon. Goh, just 20-years-old, chewed up 131 frames this past season while posting a 5-7 record with a 4.12 ERA.
The 33-year-old Lee, who racked up eight saves and nine holds with a 3.03 ERA in 57 games in 2009, is coming off a horrible season with the Giants.
Injuries kept Park on the sidelines for most of 2010 after establishing himself as a valuable bench player a year earlier.
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This post was written by
Eric Bynum is Managing Editor here at Baseball de World and an ESL teacher in South Korea. He has played and/or written about baseball for the past 30 years and is an avid Atlanta Braves fan. Eric also writes for Braves Baseball World and for Call to the Pen.
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