Padres close to signing new closer in hopes of stopping the bleeding

Fans of the San Diego Padres have been through the ringer this offseason. Coming off the colossal disappointment that was the 2023 season, the Padres have been dealing with the aftermath of the passing of their owner by trimming payroll significantly including trading away Juan Soto. In just one year, San Diego has gone from being one of the most aggressive teams in the league to one whose short-term outlook is very much in doubt.

It stinks.

However, this rough offseason filled with departures in free agency and trade doesn't mean that this San Diego team can't make some noise. The lineup still has guys that can do damage like Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. and Yu Darvish has two top 10 Cy Young finishes in the past four years. Fortunately, the team looks like it is getting some reinforcements for the Padres' diminished bullpen as reports from last night indicate that the Padres are close to signing Woo Suk Go out of Korea.

Padres latest move should soften the loss of Josh Hader

Given San Diego's payroll/ownership situation, the idea of bringing back free agent closer Josh Hader faced some long odds. Hader is looking to beat Edwin Diaz's deal with the Mets with his next contract and while Hader's performance certainly merits being among the best paid relievers in baseball, a potential nine figure deal to a reliever for a team that is having to take a step back next season doesn't make the most sense.

Instead, the Padres are again looking overseas for an answer to their roster issues. Woo Suk Go leans heavily on a fastball/cutter mix that has missed bats at a high rate during his time in the KBO and has turned into one of the better relievers in Korea over the last few years. One thing to keep an eye on is his command as the walks did have a tendency to pile up for him. According to Heyman's report, the hope is that Go can seize the closer spot for 2024 and beyond.

What isn't known at this time is how much the Padres are going to be paying for his services. Go probably won't require a ton of money to sign, but there is going to be the added surcharge of having to pay his old team, the LG Twins, a release fee that is determined by the final value of his contract,

More Padres News from Friars on Base