Birch Smith, the “disaster of Hanwha,” who left Korea after disparaging, got a chance to try again in the Major League based on his performance in the Winter League. The Tampa Bay Rays announced on the 5th (Korea Standard Time) that they had signed right-hander Birch Smith (34) to a minor league contract.
“Smith has experience in 191 innings in the Major League from 2013 to 2021. He posted an ERA of 6.03 during this period, but if you look at FIP 4.93 and SIERA 4.38 which reflect the batting quality of in-play situations, you can see that he deserves a much better performance.”
He continued, “Starting with the Seibu Lions in the 2022 season, he has played overseas for the past two years. He recorded an ERA of 3.29 in 38 ⅓ innings in Seibu and was released in mid-April due to a shoulder injury in the 2023 KBO League Hanwha Eagles.”
Smith joined the KBO League by signing a $1 million contract with Hanwha ahead of last year’s season. It filled the upper limit that can be given to new foreign players. Hanwha expected Smith to serve as the first starter.
However, his injury worries lingered. He suffered forearm injuries in 2020, groin in 2021, and finger and side injuries in the 2022 season. All of them have been suffering from injuries for the last three years. Hanwha has checked all these history. It has undergone thorough medical tests. He even checked his elbow Tommy John surgery history when he was playing for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015 and signed a contract.
It did not take long for the Hanwha Eagles to turn their expectations into despair and disaster. In the opening game against Kiwoom on April 1 last year, Smith was substituted for shoulder pain after allowing two runs and three hits, one out and two strikeouts, and 60 pitches in two ⅔ innings. In the end, a thorough examination revealed fine damage to the shoulder muscles and he was removed from the first team entry. The team quickly admitted its failure and released Smith. He brought in new foreign pitcher Ricardo Sanchez to end his relationship with Smith. 실시간 바카라사이트
However, Smith was embroiled in a controversy after his ouster. His SNS conversation with Hanwha fans was revealed. When asked if he was a fan of Hanwha’s “glass body,” Smith replied, “Bye bye! Have fun in your garbage country.” In other words, he disparaged Korea and left.
Smith was aiming for a comeback in the Dominican Winter League after recovering from his injury. In the Winter League, he continued to show good performance with a loss of one loss, 2.51 ERA, 20 strikeouts, and three walks in 14 ⅓ innings in 12 games. “Although it is a small sample, the walk rate is 5.1 percent, while the strikeout rate is 33.9 percent,” MLB Traderums said of Smith’s performance in the Winter League. “Smith has generally struck out 26.2 percent of hitters in Triple-A level.”
“Smith is now healthy and throwing well, so he will make an effort to return to the big leagues from the Tampa Bay camp. It could be an attractive option for Tampa Bay, one of the clubs where players are leaving,” he said, raising the possibility of Smith’s return to the Major League.
Smith started his professional career after being drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 14th round in 2011. Since his Major League debut in 2013, he has continued his Major League career by playing for Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Milwaukee, San Francisco, and Oakland in 2018. He left 102 games (13 starts) with five wins and 11 losses with a 6.03 ERA.
