The Korea Baseball Group’s Doosan Bears have signed right-hander Thomas Hatch, per a staff announcement (h/t to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO). The 30-year-old will earn $1MM in 2025, paid out as a $200K signing bonus and an $800K wage.
A 3rd-round decide by the Cubs within the 2016 draft, Hatch was shipped to Toronto within the 2019 commerce that introduced right-hander David Phelps to Chicago. Hatch subsequently made his large league debut with the Blue Jays only a yr later in the course of the shortened 2020 season and impressed in his first style of massive league motion with a 2.73 ERA in 26 1/3 innings of labor. Strong as that top-level run prevention determine was, nonetheless, there have been some potential crimson flags beneath the hood together with an 11.9% stroll price and a somewhat pedestrian 4.14 FIP.
Given these regarding peripherals, it wasn’t essentially a shock when the wheels got here off for Hatch a bit in the course of the 2021 season. The fitting-hander pitched simply 14 innings within the majors with a ten.93 ERA over the subsequent two years as he walked eight batters and struck out 12. Regardless of these struggles, he continued to publish respectable numbers with Triple-A Buffalo and earned a extra intensive alternative within the majors in the course of the 2023 season. It went moderately effectively for the right-hander, as he posted a strong 4.08 ERA throughout 28 2/3 innings of labor with the Blue Jays and Pirates. Trying beneath the hood, Hatch’s efficiency got here with a powerful 52.3% groundball price and a good 20.2% strikeout price whereas his stroll price dipped to a nonetheless elevated however extra manageable 9.3%.
These promising peripherals and improved outcomes acquired the eye of the Hiroshima Carp of Japan’s Nippon Skilled Baseball, who signed him to a one-year deal final offseason. That first foray into abroad baseball didn’t go particularly effectively for Hatch, as he was relegated to the Carp’s Western League affiliate for many of the season after scuffling with the Central League membership. Whereas he dominated in 72 1/3 Western League innings to the tune of a 2.36 ERA, Hatch was torched within the Central League with a 7.36 ERA in 22 innings throughout 5 appearances. These struggles have been evidently sufficient for Hiroshima to half methods with Hatch this winter, main him to move to South Korea to signal with the Bears. Within the KBO, Hatch will lock down a bigger wage than he would’ve been capable of finding in stateside ball and hope to re-establish himself as a pitcher, doubtlessly opening the door to a extra profitable return to both NPB or MLB play sooner or later.