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| ▲ In this Getty Images file photo from July 20, 2018, Sam Gaviglio of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches against the Baltimore Orioles in the top of the first inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Rogers Centre in Toronto. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This photo provided by the SSG Landers on June 5, 2021, shows the Korea Baseball Organization club's new pitcher, Sam Gaviglio, signing his contract with the team. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) KBO-pitcher
(LEAD) KBO-leading Landers sign ex-MLB pitcher Sam Gaviglio
(ATTN: ADDS comments in paras 7-8, 10)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, June 5 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean baseball club SSG Landers announced Saturday they've signed former major league pitcher Sam Gaviglio.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club said Gaviglio will make US$246,000 for the rest of the season in guaranteed salary, along with a $100,000 signing bonus.
The 31-year-old right-hander is replacing Artie Lewicki in the Landers' rotation. Lewicki is sidelined with a pectoral injury, suffered after his most recent start last Saturday. It came in his first outing back after missing more than a month with an oblique injury. Lewicki made only four starts in his first KBO season, going 1-0 with a 3.77 ERA across 14 1/3 innings.
Gaviglio has an 11-18 record with a 4.88 ERA in 98 big league games, spread over the past four years with three different clubs. He has been pitching in Triple-A for the Texas Rangers, and had a 2-1 record and a 5.13 ERA in five starts.
Gaviglio and another Landers starter, Wilmer Font, both pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2019 and 2020.
They praised Gaviglio's command and said his ability to induce groundballs should suit him well at their hitter-friendly home park, Incheon SSG Landers Field.
Landers' manager Kim Won-hyong said later Saturday that Gaviglio should be ready to pitch in early July.
"He may not dominate hitters with his stuff, but he has solid mechanics and has good command of his pitches," Kim said. "The team made the best choice possible in a situation where we didn't have time on our side."
In addition to Lewicki, the Landers have lost two other starters. Submarine pitcher Park Jong-hun will undergo season-ending elbow surgery next Tuesday in Los Angeles. Another right-hander, Moon Seung-won, is on his way to Los Angeles to get his ailing elbow checked out and he too will likely go under the knife.
Kim said he'll need three emergency starters for the rest of June. The Landers may also look to make a trade to land a proven starter.
Despite these injury woes, the Landers were still in first place after Friday's games at 28-20.
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