After rejecting the Samsung Lions’ offer to re-sign him, pitcher David Buchanan, 34, has returned to the United States to join his hometown Philadelphia Phillies. However, it’s not the major league contract he was expecting, but a minor league contract.
The Phillies announced the signing of right-hander Buchanan to a minor league contract on Thursday (July 14). Buchanan will join the Phillies’ spring training organization in Clearwater, Florida, as an invitee in an attempt to get back to the big leagues.
Buchanan’s contract talks with Samsung last winter fell through. Samsung tried to retain Buchanan by offering him a multi-year contract, but due to the foreign salary cap, the maximum offer was $2.4 million in 2024 and $2.5 million in 2025. 토토사이트 It was difficult for Samsung to give Buchanan that amount of money, even if it meant freeing up cap space to re-sign other foreign players.
In the end, the club signed Denny Reyes, another foreign pitcher after Conor Seabold, on March 4.
That’s when the company decided to part ways with Buchanan. At the time, Samsung said, “Buchanan, who has been on Samsung’s mound for the past four years, unfortunately rejected the club’s final proposal while considering his recent move to the Major League Baseball.
After his contract was canceled, Buchanan posted a message to fans on his wife’s social media accounts. “I really wanted to stay with Samsung, and I really wanted to finish my career with Samsung, but it didn’t work out the way I wanted,” Buchanan said, “It was a very difficult decision. But I wanted to let the fans know how much they meant to me. My family gave me so much love from the first day I arrived to the last day. I can’t thank them enough. I will always keep you all in my heart and remember you forever. I hope to see you all again in the future. I will always have blue blood in my veins,” he said as he bid farewell.
All eyes were on whether he would return to the major leagues. The Cincinnati Reds were reportedly very interested in him, but for some reason, no signings were made. It’s unclear exactly what happened, but the tide turned in late December when Cincinnati signed free agent pitcher Frankie Montas to a one-year, $16 million deal. The deal fell through, and Buchanan signed a minor league contract with his hometown Philadelphia.
He left Korea, where he was guaranteed a big paycheck, to take on a tough challenge as a minor leaguer in his mid-30s.
On the bright side, the Phillies are no strangers to Buchanan. Drafted by the Phillies in the seventh round (231st overall) of the 2010 draft, Buchanan worked his way up through the minor leagues and made his major league debut in 2014. He started all 20 games that year, throwing 117⅔ innings, going 6-8 with a 3.75 ERA, 71 strikeouts, and a 1.29 WHIP.
After a fairly successful rookie season, his sophomore campaign was a disaster. After making the opening day roster and starting 15 games (74⅔ innings), he went 2-9 with a 6.99 ERA, 44 strikeouts, 44 walks, and a 1.85 WHIP. His up-and-down pitching bounced back and forth between the majors and minors throughout the season.
In 2016, he spent a full season in Triple-A without receiving a call-up to the big leagues, and in 2017, he moved to Japan. He spent three years with the Yakultswallows, going 20-30 with a 4.07 ERA, 265 strikeouts, and a 1.39 WHIP in 71 games (433⅔ innings) through 2019 before heading to South Korea in 2020.
Buchanan made his KBO debut in a Samsung uniform and spent the longest four years of any Samsung foreign player’s career until last year.
Starting all 113 games in his four-year career, Buchanan compiled a 54-28 record with a 3.02 ERA, 539 strikeouts, and a 1.27 WHIP in 699⅔ innings pitched. Tied for first in wins, second in most quality starts (80), and second in ERA and strikeouts, he was one of the few bright spots on the Samsung mound in the dark ages.
As an ace, he was also extremely competitive and responsible. His two complete games and four shutouts in four years were both league highs. During this time, Buchanan threw the most innings and pitches (11,375) in the KBO. 파워볼사이트 추천 He made a strong impression with his grit, as he rarely came off the mound. His rigorous routine and self-care set an example for other Korean players, including Won Tai-in, and his energetic personality and showmanship endeared him to fans.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, has a stable starting five of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Taijuan Walker, Ranger Suarez, and Christopher Sanchez. With the need for additional starting depth, the Phillies brought Buchanan back on a minor league deal, and it will be interesting to see if he can fulfill his dream of returning to the majors after a nine-year absence.