Home / Sports / Veteran Pitcher Vince Velasquez Traded to Korea's KBO League
Veteran Pitcher Vince Velasquez Traded to Korea's KBO League
6 Aug
Summary
- Veteran pitcher Vince Velasquez sold to Lotte Giants in Korea's KBO
- Velasquez had 3.42 ERA with 26.8% strikeout rate in Triple-A this season
- Velasquez last pitched in MLB in 2023 with the Pirates
In a move that will see a veteran pitcher cross the Pacific, the Cleveland Guardians have sold the contract of Vince Velasquez to the Lotte Giants of Korea's KBO league. The announcement was made by the Guardians on Wednesday, August 2nd.
Velasquez, 33, has spent the 2025 season with the Guardians' Triple-A affiliate in Columbus, where he has posted a 3.42 ERA and an impressive 26.8% strikeout rate. However, the right-hander has not pitched in the major leagues since 2023, when he made eight starts for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Despite his strong performance in the minors this year, Velasquez was unable to crack the Guardians' big-league roster, being called up in late April but not appearing in a game before being sent back down a few days later. Now, he will have the opportunity to continue his career in the competitive KBO league, where he will look to regain the form that once made him a rising star with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Velasquez, who was originally drafted by the Houston Astros, spent six of his nine MLB seasons with the Phillies, with his best campaign coming in 2016 when he had a 4.12 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 131 innings. He has also had stints with the Padres, White Sox, and Pirates over the course of his big-league career.
