The Doosan Bears have completed the transfer fee payment process for new foreign pitcher Brandon Waddell. Brandon is expected to arrive in Korea on June 16 after making one appearance in the Taiwanese League.
On June 12, local Taiwanese media reported, “The transfer fee payment process between Rakuten and Doosan has been finalized. Brandon is scheduled to leave for South Korea on June 16 after making one more start.”
A Doosan official also told MK Sports on June 12, “Brandon’s contract is almost finalized. He is expected to arrive in Korea on the 16th.”
Doosan announced the release on June 8, along with Dillon’s waiver claim. Dillon had already received poor reviews from the field during his Futures League appearances. “Maybe it’s because of the aftermath of his injury, but he doesn’t have the overwhelming flavor of a foreign pitcher,” said a field official. A teammate also pointed out that his pitching habits could be easily exposed.
Doosan, which began its search for a replacement pitcher in mid-May, is hoping to bring back Brandon, who played with the team last year as an alternate foreign pitcher. Brandon has been a starting pitcher for the Rakuten Monkeys of the Taiwanese League this season.
However, an official signing announcement has yet to be made. He was expected to join the team as early as the end of June due to the transfer fee payment process and the time required to obtain a work visa.
Manager Lee Seung-yeop smiled bittersweetly when asked by reporters before the June 10 game, “When is Brandon coming?”
“Still, I think the arrival of a new foreign pitcher will be a big boost for our team. With Kwak Bin and Choi Won-jun back in the starting rotation, we’re in a good position to hold on until then. We’ll just have to wait for our current players to struggle a little bit more and hope for positive results.”
As reported by local Taiwanese media, Brandon is expected to arrive in South Korea this week to begin preparations for his return to the KBO. Depending on how long it takes to get his work visa, he could be pitching for the first team as early as the fourth week of June.
A Doosan official explained, “The date of Brandon’s return to the first team will be determined depending on how long it takes to issue his work visa. If it is resolved as soon as possible, we can expect him to return next weekend.”
Brandon, who is known for his innings-eating role, will be a big boost to the Doosan starting lineup, which just saw the return of Kwak Bin and Choi Won-jun. The synergy between Raul Alcantara and Brandon is highly anticipated. 먹튀검증