Seunghwan

Oh

They went all out for the Final Boss, who announced his retirement in August, and the ceremony is linked here. Oh, 43, was limited to 12 appearances this season and didn’t add to his total of 549 career saves between Korea (427), Japan (80) and MLB (42). He pitched in the majors for the Cardinals, Blue Jays and Rockies from 2016-19, posting a 3.31 ERA and striking out 252 in 225 2/3 innings. He had four 40-save seasons in Korea and picked up his 80 saves in Japan in just two seasons with Hanshin.

The deal is worth around $490,000 for one year. Oh, who was recently cut loose by the Rockies, will have to serve a 72-game gambling suspension before being eligible to return. He also set to undergo elbow surgery soon, so Oh won’t pitch for his old KBO team until next season. The 37-year-old had a brutal 9.33 ERA in 21 appearances this season with Colorado.

Oh is back in his native South Korea already and will undergo season-ending surgery on his right elbow in the coming days. The 37-year-old reliever posted a horrific 9.33 ERA in 21 appearances this season with Colorado and may be done with Major League Baseball entirely.

The surgery will take place in Oh’s native South Korea in the coming weeks. Oh was placed on the injured list back on June 7 with an abdominal strain and apparently hurt his elbow while rehabbing. The 37-year-old right-hander struggled to a brutal 9.33 ERA in 21 appearances this season with the Rockies, and it’s fair to wonder whether he will return to Major League Baseball in 2020. He’s a free agent this winter.

The Rockies will determine the next step in his rehab after that. A left oblique injury has sidelined Oh for the past three weeks. This year has been a struggle for the veteran, who holds an ugly 9.33 ERA across 21 relief outings for Colorado.

It’s not clear how long Oh might be sidelined. Phillip Diehl has replaced him in the Rockies’ bullpen.

Oh has been knocked around all spring, but it would be silly to overreact. The 36-year-old right-hander should fill a prominent setup role this year in Colorado and may be next-in-line for saves should something go wrong with closer Wade Davis.

Oh is dealing with a stiff neck, but it’s not believed to be a serious issue, and he wouldn’t be throwing a bullpen on Tuesday if it was. He’ll be a big part of the Colorado bullpen to begin the 2019 season.

Black said the right-hander is day-to-day, and that he picked up the neck stiffness from “sleeping wrong.” Yep, there’s a correct way to sleep. Oh was roughed up for four runs in 2/3 of an inning, and the neck likely didn’t help. He’s expected to serve as a set-up man for Colorado this year, and assuming good health, he should be a good one.

Oh told the Yonhap News Agency of Korea that he would like to return to his native country to pitch in the Korea Baseball Organization, but Bridich says the reliever’s comments weren’t specific to 2019. “From what we have been told, it was much ado about nothing regarding Oh,” Bridich said. “His comments to the Korean media were not specifically about 2019. It was more about ending his career there. Our understanding is that he has every intention of honoring his current contract.” Oh is under contract for $2.5 million in 2019 and should provide the Rockies with a solid middle relief arm.