Rangers second baseman Carlos Asuaje is headed to Korea Baseball Organization, according to a report from Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan. Following a three-year campaign with the Padres, Asuaje was placed on waivers and subsequently claimed by the Rangers, who have yet to formalize the buyout required to move the infielder to KBO’s Lotte Giants.
Asuaje, 27, saw a sharp decline in his value during the 2018 season. He slashed a disappointing .196/.286/.280 with just 11 extra-base hits, 19 RBI and a .566 OPS, feeding into a career-worst -0.7 fWAR over 218 plate appearances. Despite a promising performance in 2017, he has yet to catch on in any meaningful way with a major-league team and stands to make a bigger impact for the Lotte Giants, who may be able to guarantee more consistent opportunities moving forward.
Final terms of the deal have yet to be reported. Asuaje is the fourth MLB player to join the Giants in recent years, a pool that included left-handers Félix Doubront and Brooks Raley and second baseman Andy Burns.
