After struggling in the majors this season, a former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher is heading back overseas.
According to Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News, former Blue Jays pitcher Austin Voth has signed a six-week contract with the Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization. Voth's deal with KBO club will pay him $150,000. The former Blue Jays pitcher will be replacing pitcher Ariel Jurado as he deals with shoulder inflammation.
After spending the 2025 season in Japan, Voth returned to North America for the 2026 season by signing a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox. However, he was released by the White Sox before the season started and was then signed by the Blue Jays.
Voth ended up appearing in two games for the Blue Jays this season, where he allowed three home runs, five walks, and six earned runs in six innings pitched. Following this, he was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays in May and then elected free agency after clearing waivers.
Following his rough and brief tenure with the Blue Jays, Voth then signed with the Minnesota Twins. He made one appearance for Minnesota, where he allowed five earned runs and 11 hits in just four innings pitched. After this, he was DFA'd by the Twins and became a free agent again. Voth then signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers earlier this month before being released last week.
With how rough Voth's major league comeback attempt went this season, it makes sense that he is now heading back overseas. He will now be looking to turn things around in hopes of gaining major league interest again in the future.
Former Blue Jays' Voth will give Samsung Lions a pitcher with a lot of MLB experience
While Voth had a tough year in the majors this campaign, he still has the potential to be a solid addition to the Lions' roster. He will now provide the KBO club with a pitcher who has plenty of major league experience, which is not a bad thing.
In 210 career major league games over eight seasons split between the Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, Blue Jays, and Twins, Voth has a 17-20 record, a 4.84 ERA, and 346 strikeouts. His top season was in 2024 with the Mariners, as he appeared in a career-high 68 games and posted a 3.69 ERA.
It will now be interesting to see how much of an impact Voth can make with the Lions from here. The former Blue Jays pitcher will certainly be looking to get things back on track.
