Former Blue Jays currently playing in the Korean Baseball Organization

Earlier this summer, I wrote an article looking at former Blue Jays players that decided to take their talents overseas to the Nippon Professional Baseball league, the highest level of baseball in Japan. A majority of these players signed during the offseason when another opportunity didn’t arise in the MLB, looking for full-time hours at a high level rather than sit in the Minor Leagues making less money than playing overseas.

Considering the process itself was quite fun to see former players and how they were doing since leaving the Blue Jays, I decided to do the same thing, but this time take a look at players who had decided to head to the Korean Baseball Organization, the highest level of baseball in South Korea.

This is particularly interesting considering one of the highest profile free agent signings under current general manager Ross Atkins is that of Hyun Jin Ryu, who started his professional baseball career in the KBO with the Hanwha Eagles before coming stateside to join the Los Angeles Dodgers and then the Toronto Blue Jays via free agency.

It should be noted that all stats were as current as per Baseball Reference heading into Monday morning (considering the time zone difference and schedules).

Without further ado, let’s take a look at former Jays currently playing in the KBO this year.

As the Blue Jays gear up for another playoff run, let’s take a look at former players who have moved on and are now playing in the KBO.

Wilmer Font – RHP

Right-hander Wilmer Font is an interesting player, mostly because he actually had two different stints with the Toronto Blue Jays throughout his career.

Back in mid-2016, his contract was bought by the Blue Jays when he was a member of the Ottawa Champions in the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball. He finished that year pitching in AA and AAA and would sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers the following offseason.

He rejoined the Blue Jays back in 2019 when he was acquired from the New York Mets organization weeks before the trade deadline. Font finished out that season and most of the 2020 campaign before being DFA’d just prior to the playoffs. Overall, the Venezuelan product was solid in 2019, authoring a 3.66 ERA through 39.1 innings but struggling in 2020, appearing in 16.1 innings but allowing 18 earned runs off 28 hits.

That offseason, Font signed a one-year deal with the SSG Landers (formerly the SK Wyverns) and has produced solid results out of the rotation since heading to the KBO.

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

His 2.55 ERA currently has him ranked seventh across the KBO and second on the squad, while sitting third in innings pitched with 166.0. Font is currently on a one-year deal with the Landers and could potentially look to return to the MLB this offseason.

Anthony Alford

A former third-round pick of the Blue Jays back in 2012, outfielder Anthony Alford routinely found his name on the top prospect list but was never fully able to cement himself on the active roster.

Overall, the righty-hitting Alford would compile a .155/.200/.254 slash line through71 at-bats across four years with the Jays, adding two home runs and five RBI along with a .454 OPS. During the 2020 season, Alford would be DFA’d and claimed by the Pittsburgh Pirates, spending parts of three seasons with the squad before being DFA’d back in April of 2022 and elected free agency.

Alford decided to take his talents to KT Wiz on a one-year deal after a quick stint with the Cleveland Guardians (following the Pirates DFA and subsequent release in late May) and so far, the Mississippi product has put up some solid numbers, authoring a .262/.336/.471 slash line through 225 at-bats. He also has added 11 home runs and 41 RBI to the tune of a .807 OPS and sits third on the squad in terms of home runs and fifth in RBI despite having half as many games as a majority of his teammates.

Defensively, Alford has committed four errors while spending the majority of his time in left field with a few stints in right, having one assist on the season.

Sean Nolin

Another former top prospect of the Blue Jays, southpaw Sean Nolin didn’t really pitch with the Blue Jays all that much but he was a part of one of the biggest trades the club made between 2010-2020. He was part of the trade package during the 2014/2015 offseason that saw Josh Donaldson head to the Blue Jays and the left-hander was never able to find a spot on the Athletics’ active roster and was designated for assignment a year later during the 2015/2016 offseason.

He toiled around the Minor Leagues with a few different MLB teams and even had a quick stint in Independent ball and in the Nippon Baseball League before attempting a comeback with the Washington Nationals last year, appearing in 10 games and pitching to a 4.39 ERA through 26.2 innings. He re-signed with the Nats on a MiLB deal for the 2022 season but the club released him a short time later to allow him to pursue an opportunity with the Kia Tigers in the KBO.

So far this year, Nolin has compiled a 3.20 ERA through 16 starts and 90.0 innings with the Tigers, collecting 80 strikeouts compared to 20 walks while pitching out of the rotation. He owns a 5-7 record on the year and boasts a 1.267 WHIP on the season, sitting sixth on the team in terms of ERA.

Thomas Pannone

Joining Nolin on the Kia Tigers is former starter/reliever Thomas Pannone, who was acquired by the Blue Jays at the 2017 trade deadline from the then Cleveland Indians alongside Samad Taylor in exchange for reliever Joe Smith.

Pannone made his MLB debut in 2018, flirting with the rotation and the bullpen before appearing in a career-high 37 games in the 2019 campaign, highlighted by an immaculate inning against the Tampa Bay Rays on April 14th. At the MLB level, Pannone crafted a 5.43 ERA through 49 games and 116.0 innings pitched, finishing with a 7.6 K/9.

The Jays DFA’d him on August 24th, 2020 and he became a free agent that offseason, spending the 2021 campaign in AAA with the Los Angeles Angels organization. He joined the Boston Red Sox for the 2022 season on a MiLB deal but was released midway through the summer, later signing a deal with the Tigers in the KBO.

Through 10 starts in South Korea, Pannone has allowed just 13 earned runs through 59.1 innings while authoring an 8.2 K/9 compared to a 2.4 B/9. He doesn’t have enough innings to rank across the KBO but he does have one of the stronger lines amongst the Tigers rotation and has gone five or more innings in nine of his ten starts.

Socrates Brito

A name that may haunt Blue Jays fans, outfielder Socrates Brito has also found himself in the KBO, joining the Kia Tigers this past offseason.

Brito was originally acquired by the Blue Jays early into the 2019 season from the San Diego Padres, with prospect Rodrigo Orozco heading the opposite way. The Dominican product struggled with the Jays, collecting three hits through 39 at-bats with one triple and two RBI, sporting a .271 OPS. He would be DFA’d almost a month later and finished the year in AAA with the Bisons, finding a groove and eventually being named the Bisons MVP for that season.

Brito joined the Pirates organization for the 2020 season but opted out citing COVID-19, as his brother tragically passed away from the Coronavirus in late July. He spent the 2021 season in the Yankees Minor League system before heading to the KBO for the 2022 campaign.

With the Tigers, Brito has been finding ways to get on base, sporting a .322/.367/.508 slash line through 429 at-bats, adding 14 home runs and 65 RBI to go along with his .875 OPS. He currently sits sixth in the league in terms of batting average, eighth in OPS, and 10th in hits (138). Because of his speed, Brito spends most of his time in centre field and has committed just four errors on the year, owning a .985 fielding percentage this year.

Matt Dermody

A 28th-round selection of the Blue Jays back in 2013, reliever Matt Dermody appeared in 28 games with the Blue Jays from 2016 to 2017, pitching to a 5.33 ERA through 25.1 innings. He would be DFA’d in early 2018 and underwent Tommy John surgery in May of that year, sitting out the rest of the season and appearing in only 15 games with the Buffalo Bisons in 2019.

After that season, Dermody started the year in Independent Ball before signing a MiLB deal with the Chicago Cubs late into the season. The left-hander spent the 2021 campaign in the NPB with the Saitama Seibu Lions before rejoining the Cubs on a MiLB deal for the 2022 season, appearing in just one game for the Cubs and spending most of the year in AAA, later being released on August 9th.

Dermody recently signed with the NC Dinos in the KBO and only has three appearances with his new club, allowing eight earned runs through 15.1 innings while working out of the rotation. He has allowed two home runs compared to five walks and 16 strikeouts and owns a 1.249 WHIP with an 8.2 H/9 as a starter with the Dinos.

Glenn Sparkman

A Rule 5 pick of the Blue Jays back in 2016, reliever Glenn Sparkman broke his thumb in Spring Training heading into the 2017 season and started the year on the injured list. He joined the Blue Jays in late June and made just two appearances, allowing seven earned runs through one inning of work. He would be DFA’d and returned to the Kansas City Royals shortly after.

He spent the next three seasons split between the Royals bullpen and in AAA, pitching to a 5.67 ERA through 50 appearances. The Royals released him following the 2020 campaign and he signed a MiLB deal with the Minnesota Twins for the 2021 campaign, starting the year in AAA before being released in mid-May and finishing the season in Japan with the Orix Buffaloes.

This past offseason, Sparkman signed a deal with the Lotte Giants in the KBO and has spent all year in the rotation, posting a 5.31 ERA through 19 appearances. While he is striking out opponents at a high rate (9.5 K/9), he is struggling with his command issuing free passes at a 4.6 BB/9 and has allowed 50 earned runs through 84.2 innings of work. Sparkman was waived by the Giants in late July, with the club bringing in MLB veteran Dan Straily in his place.

Seung-hwan Oh

A product of the KBO, right-hander Seunghwan Oh spent nine seasons with the Samsung Lions before signing with the Hanshin Tigers of the Nippon Professional Baseball league for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Oh made the move to the MLB during the 2015/2016 offseason, signing a one-year deal with an option for the 2017 campaign with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Following the 2017 season, Oh joined the Blue Jays on a one-year $2 million deal that included an option for the 2019 campaign. With the Jays, Oh posted a 2.68 ERA through 48 appearances with two saves and a 10.5 K/9. The front office ended up trading the reliever to the Colorado Rockies at the deadline in exchange for prospects Forrest Wall, Chad Spanberger, and a player to be named later (which ended up being new enemy Bryan Baker).

Blue Jays report: Seunghwan Oh traded to the Colorado Rockies

The Rockies released the South Korea product during the 2019 season after it was announced he would miss the remainder of the season with an elbow injury. Oh returned to the KBO and signed with the Samsung Lions for the remainder of the year. He was unable to pitch due to the injury and also because of disciplinary action stemming from a gambling conviction, which also sidelined him for the start of the 2020 season (which he was already going to miss due to injury). He rejoined the team in mid-June.

In 2021, Oh authored an impressive 1.92 ERA through 63 appearances for the Lions, finishing 60 games while also converting 44 saves.

This season, Oh has appeared in 50 games for the Lions and has 26 saves on the year to go along with a 3.24 ERA. He owns a 9.0 K/9 with a 1.280 WHIP while also finishing 41 games this season. Oh has not allowed an earned run through his last eight outings and has struck out at least one batter through nine of his last ten appearances.