A month ago, KIA was also surprised. It was ML's starting pitching, but why were you so serious about going to Korea
Dec 16, 2024
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The KIA Tigers faced rumors of recruiting new foreign pitcher Adam Oler (30) early last month. The source of the rumor is none other than Oler himself. Ari Alexander, a reporter for the Houston regional media, reported on the 13th of last month in Korean time that `FA right-hander Aller has completed his contract with KBO champion KIA in 2025 season', and it seemed to be official as Aller shared the information on his SNS.
However, Kia was very embarrassed at the time. Oler was one of several candidates for recruitment, but it was not a definite stage of signing a contract. Oler was so active in going to Korea that he felt a little rushed, and Oler soon deleted the SNS sharing.
Oler's wish came true after waiting a whole month. KIA signed a total of 1 million dollars (about 1.4 billion won) with Oler on the 16th, including a down payment of 200,000 dollars, an annual salary of 600,000 dollars and an option of 200,000 dollars. $1 million is the highest the club can give a new KBO recruit foreign player.
An KIA official explained the process of signing the contract with Oler and said, "There was a happening about a month ago. He was in the stage of contact because he was on our list, but the player was also very interested. So, before the contract was specifically carried out, I once posted on social media that the player had signed with our club."
Then "That's how much the player we're interested in was right. At that time, there were other players watching as candidates besides Oler, but the club judged that Oler was the best, so it can be said that it led to the contract. I think he was strong-willed"I appreciated Oler's will.
Oler is a right-hander from Conlow, Texas, USA, with a physique of 193 centimeters and a weight of 102 kilograms. In the Major League, he got the opportunity for the last three consecutive seasons starting in 2022, and played for four seasons in the Minor League (hereinafter referred to as Triple-A).
In the Major League, he made his debut in 2022 for the Oakland Athletics and played two seasons, and this year, he moved to the Miami Marlins as a starting pitcher. In all, he pitched in 36 games (23 starts), recording 5 wins and 13 ⅓ innings, 95 strikeouts, and a 6.54 ERA. Although he got the opportunity for three consecutive years, it was true that he was not enough to hold out in the big league.
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KIA explained "Oller is a player who stands out for his strikeout ability based on powerful fastballs in the 150km/h range and large breaking balls." Oler's strikeouts per nine innings were 9.4 in Triple-A and 6.3 in the big leagues.
The recent success story of foreign pitchers from KBO may have influenced the background of Oler's active trip to Korea. Merrill Kelly, a former SK Wyverns (current SSG Landers) ace, signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2019 and grew to the second starter. The U.S. media pointed out that Kelly, who had no big league experience until entering the KBO League, has changed to Arizona's second-to-third-line issuance and cited 'steady starting opportunity in Korea' as the key point of growth. Since Kelly, Chris Flexen (Chicago White Sox) from the Doosan Bears, Drew Luchinski (Oakland) and Eric Peddy (St. Louis Cardinals) from the NC Dinos have been in line. In the meantime, foreign players with quite a lot of big league experience are also turning to Korea.
KIA completed the formation of a foreign player one-two punch next season by recruiting Aller. KIA was in the process of finding a stronger second starter after renewing its contract with first starter James Nail for a total of $1.8 million (about 2.5 billion won). In 26 games this year, which was his first season at KIA, Nail received a passing score with 12-5 losses, 149 ⅓ innings, 138 strikeouts, and a 2.53 ERA. Although he did not play full time due to a jaw injury at the end of the season, he succeeded in staying on the mound with favorable reviews from both pitch and personality in the locker room.
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An official from Kia said, `Oller was recruited in anticipation of serving as a one-two punch as a starting pitcher along with Nail. As he started all major league games this season, he has a lot of experience in starting. He will be a pillar of the starting rotation for next season and we expect it to be a great addition to the team."
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
