South Korean pitcher Go Woo-suk is on the verge of signing with the San Diego Padres, as his Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club LG Twins gave him the green light Wednesday. Earlier in the day, New York Post columnist Jon Heyman tweeted that Go was close to a deal with the Padres to be their closer, though no financial terms were immediately available. Go had been posted for Major League Baseball (MLB) clubs in early December, and his 30-day negotiating window is scheduled to close at 5 p.m. Wednesday in Eastern Time, or 7 a.m. Thursday in South Korean time. Per an agreement between the KBO and MLB, South Korean clubs receive a "release fee" from MLB clubs for losing players via posting, a sum based on the guaranteed portion of a given player's contract. For instance, if the guaranteed value of the deal is US$25 million or less, the release fee will be 20 percent of the contract. If the contract is worth between $25,000,001 and $50 million, the fee will be 20 percent of the first $25 million, plus 17. 5 percent of any amount exceeding that $25 million. If a player signs for more than $50 million, his former KBO team will receive 20 percent of the first $25 million ($5 million) and 17.5 percent of the next $25 million ($4,375,000), plus 15 percent of the amount exceeding $50 million. Before agreeing to post Go in December, the Twins had said they would only let him leave if the money was right. Then on Wednesday, the Twins were informed of the Padres' offer to the pitcher, and decided to let him sign "out of respect for the player's wishes" to play in the majors. According to the Twins, Go took an early afternoon flight to the United States to finalize his deal with the Padres. He would become the second South Korean for the Padres, joining Gold Glove-winning infielder Kim Ha-seong. Go has been one of the KBO's top closers since assuming that role in 2019, two years after his debut. He has recorded 139 saves from 2019 to 2023, more than any other closer in that span. He has struck out 334 batters and wa lked 115 in 275 1/3 innings across those five seasons. His 2.39 ERA is also the lowest among all closers in the 2019-2023 period. The right-hander is also one of the hardest-throwing relievers in the KBO. According to the KBO statistics site Statiz, Go averaged 152.5 kph with his fastball in 2023, tops among all relievers with at least 40 innings pitched. Go is about to become the second KBO player to sign with an MLB team through posting. In December, former Kiwoom Heroes outfielder Lee Jung-hoo inked a six-year, $113 million contract with the San Francisco Giants. Go and Lee, both 25 years old, are close friends, and Go is married to Lee's younger sister. Source: Yonhap News Agency