New Padres pitcher Go Woo-suk bracing for roster battle: ‘I’m not a major leaguer yet’

South Korean pitcher Go Woo-suk has signed a major league deal with the San Diego Padres, with two guaranteed years and a mutual option for a third season. There is also a clause that will prevent the Padres from sending him to the minors without Go’s consent.

What’s more: Go could potentially make his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in South Korea in March, when the Padres face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the two-game “Seoul Series.”

However, Go, who returned home Saturday morning, said he doesn’t see himself as a major leaguer just yet. His contract notwithstanding, Go believes he still has to fight his way onto the Padres roster.

“I am in a spot where I have to compete for my opportunity,” Go told reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. “I don’t think I can call myself a major leaguer just yet. I haven’t even pitched in my first game. Once I win the competition and get my name on the roster, then it will really dawn on me that I’ve made it to the majors.”

Following Go’s seven years with the LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the Padres signed him to the multiyear contract to be their latest option at the back end of the bullpen. Go led all KBO relievers with 139 saves and a 2.39 ERA between 2019, his first season as the Twins closer, and 2023. His 334 strikeouts in that five-year stretch put Go in second place among KBO closers. He also helped the Twins win their first Korean Series title in 29 years in November.

The Padres lost All-Star closer Josh Hader to free agency, and setup man Nick Martinez also departed as a free agent. Robert Suarez, one of the returning relievers, is projected as the new closer, though the Padres now have two highly rated closers from Asia in the mix too. Before getting Go, they signed Japanese closer Yuki Matsui, who had 236 saves over 10 years in Nippon Professional Baseball.

Suarez, Matsui and Go will likely battle for the closer gig, and Go said he will embrace that challenge.

“I will be pitching in my first game in February (during spring training), and I will have to get my body ready for that, first and foremost,” Go said. “And during spring training games, I have to get to a point where I feel like I can win battles against major league hitters. And I will be able to really consider myself a major leaguer once I make the roster.”

Go is the second member of his extended family to move to MLB this winter. In December, his brother-in-law, former Kiwoom Heroes star Lee Jung-hoo, signed with the San Francisco Giants.

Go is also the second South Korean player for the Padres, after Gold Glove-winning infielder Kim Ha-seong, who has been with the Friars since 2021. Go and Kim didn’t play together in the KBO but have been teammates at international competitions, including the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

“We’ve played in the same league and played for the country together. Having someone like that around when I am moving overseas puts my mind at ease,” Go said.

Go led the KBO with 42 saves in 2022, but his numbers fell across the board in an injury-plagued 2023 season. Though he was eligible for posting after last season, Go’s decision to ask the Twins to post him after a relatively poor season — he was limited to 15 saves and had a mediocre 3.68 ERA — came as a surprise to many.

Go could have chosen to test free agency after one more season in the KBO. But the pitcher himself said he wanted to see for himself how much he would be worth in posting.

“I actually started preparing for the posting process before the 2023 season, but then I didn’t have such a great season,” Go said. “I wouldn’t have asked the team to post me if we hadn’t won the championship. And above all else, I was curious to see how major league teams would see me.”

Go said he didn’t start getting offers until the last minute.

“Things were so quiet that I didn’t really have high expectations,” Go said. “Then I got an offer at the last minute. People told me I could have made more money if I had waited a year and signed as a free agent. But I took this path because I wanted to return to the Twins later.”

Because Go left for MLB via posting, instead of free agency, the Twins still have rights to the pitcher should he choose to return to the KBO down the road.

KBO players need consent from their original clubs to be posted, and the teams receive a “release fee” from MLB teams once deals are signed, based on the guaranteed portion of the deal.

The Twins will get a $900,000 fee, or 20 percent from Go’s deal, from the Padres, with additional money on the way if Go earns his performance-based bonuses over the next three seasons.

The Twins agreed to post Go in December only on the condition that the money would have to be right. Their general manager, Cha Myeong-seok, acknowledged that the front office wasn’t thrilled with the Padres’ offer. It was the club’s owner, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, who gave the final stamp of approval.

“I am very thankful for everything they’ve done for me,” Go said of the Twins. “The posting fee from my contract is nothing compared to other, much bigger contracts. But they still supported my dream.”

Once Go was posted, he had a 30-day negotiating window that closed at 2 p.m. (Pacific Time) on Wednesday. And because of multiple flight delays, Go completed his physical in San Diego in the 11th hour, and the deal was finalized with only seven minutes to spare.

“I was more relieved than I was happy,” Go said. “Everything happened so fast, and I still feel a little numb.”

Go said he had never been to San Diego before this week, and it was love at first sight.

“I was really looking forward to being there,” Go said. “The weather was great, and it was such a beautiful city.”

While in San Diego, Go ran into a few Padres players, including pitchers Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove, and infielder Manny Machado.

If they are not yet familiar with the pronunciation of Go’s given name, they can refer to the Padres press release from Wednesday announcing his signing. The first line of the release included a pronunciation guide in parentheses, “OOO-suck-go.”

Even before Go signed with the Padres, his first name generated plenty of reaction on social media among English-speaking fans — some less pleasant than others. On the flip side, the initial of Go’s first name, WS, can also stand for the World Series.

Go said he had seen plays on his name, and he took it all in stride.

“I wasn’t offended. I felt lucky that I really got my name out there,” Go said with a smile. “I tried to look on the positive side. I’d like to thank my parents for giving me this name.”