Chris Flexen, 29, who led the Doosan Bears to the Korean Series in 2020, has been designated for assignment in the KBO for less than three years.바카라
The Seattle Mariners announced on Monday (Aug. 28) that they have recalled reliever Trevor Gott from the disabled list and designated right-hander Flexen for assignment.
The reasoning was clear. This season, Flexen has been primarily a bullpen arm after being pushed out of the starting rotation. After starter Robbie Ray underwent elbow ligament reconstruction (Tommy John surgery) in April, he was given the opportunity to start, but in 17 games (four starts), he went 0-4 with a 7.71 ERA.
If he is not claimed off waivers by another team or traded by Seattle in the next seven days, he will be designated for assignment or sent to the minors.
Flexen made his major league debut in 2017 and went 3-11 with an 8.07 ERA in 27 games (11 starts) through 2019 before breaking into the KBO with the Doosan in 2020. Injuries and inconsistency plagued his first half, but after an adjustment period in the Futures League, he was an ace with a 4-1 record and a 2.05 ERA in nine games.
In the fall baseball season, he was particularly impressive, going 2-1 with a 1.91 ERA in five games and one save, helping Doosan advance to the Korean Series for the sixth consecutive year. A true postseason (PS) hero. After the season, he signed a two-year, $4.75 million deal with Seattle to return to the major leagues, where he was the de facto ace in his first year, kicking off the KBO’s reverse export myth.
The performance was spectacular. Initial expectations were for a fourth or fifth starter, but he was a de facto ace. In 2021, he went 14-6 with a 3.61 ERA in 31 games and 125 strikeouts in 179⅔ innings, leading the team in wins, ERA, and innings pitched. In 2022, he struggled a bit, going 8-9 with a 3.73 ERA in 33 games and 95 strikeouts in 137⅔ innings, but with 300 innings pitched in both years combined, he’ll be paid $8 million to fulfill his vesting option for 2023.
His struggles from last year, however, were the reason he was pushed out of the starting rotation this year. Seattle has a solid five-man starting rotation with Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Ray, Logan Gilbert, and Marco Gonzalez. Flexen was never more than a backup No. 1 starter, and in the four chances he had with Ray’s injury, he blew them with a 10.38 ERA and was effectively released.