Seoul – Erick Fedde, the reigning most valuable player (MVP) of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), has reportedly signed a deal with the Chicago White Sox, according to U.S. media reports. ESPN and other outlets reported on Tuesday (U.S. time) that Fedde agreed to a two-year contract with the White Sox, valued at $15 million.
According to Yonhap News Agency, During his season with the NC Dinos in the KBO, the 30-year-old American right-hander won the regular season MVP award, achieving the Triple Crown by leading the league with 20 wins, a 2.00 ERA, and 209 strikeouts. Fedde, the first foreign pitcher to achieve this feat in the KBO, won the MVP award with 102 out of 111 media votes.
Fedde joins the ranks of Eric Thames (2015) and Josh Lindblom (2019), who also returned to Major League Baseball after successful stints in South Korea. Prior to his time in the KBO, Fedde played for the Washington Nationals from 2017 to 2022, recording a 21-33 record with a 5.41 ERA in 102 appearances, including 88 starts.
Last year, Fedde earned $1 million, the maximum amount for all first-year foreign players in the KBO. Despite the NC Dinos' efforts to retain him, offering their highest possible offer within the rules, they could not match the lucrative offer from Major League Baseball.
Fedde's dominance in the KBO was attributed to his effective use of the sweeper, a variant of the slider with more horizontal break. His impressive performance included maintaining a sub-2.00 ERA through July, although a couple of rough outings in August increased his ERA to 2.39 by September.