The KIA Tigers, who are in ninth place, have made some big moves this season. After trading catcher Kim Tae-gun on May 5, they added two new foreign pitchers in a single day on May 6.
KIA announced the signing of Mario Sanchez in the morning. Later in the day, the team sent out a press release announcing the signing of Tomas Panoni.
Sanchez (185 cm, 75 kg), a right-handed pitcher from Venezuela, spent 10 seasons in the U.S. minor leagues and this year with the Tung Yi Lions of the Taiwan Professional Baseball League. In 10 games (nine starts) for Tung Yi, he went 8-1 with a 1.44 ERA. He led the team in wins and ERA. In the minor leagues, he has a career record of 44-33 with a 3.94 ERA in 210 games (77 starts).스포츠토토
Pannoni is a left-handed pitcher who spent last year with the KIA as a substitute outfielder. He appeared in 14 games and pitched 82⅔ innings in the KBO last season, going 3-4 with a 2.72 ERA.
After failing to re-sign with KIA after the 2022 season, Pannoni signed a minor league deal with Milwaukee. In 11 games (53 1/3 innings) at Triple-A Nashville, he went 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA.
He was recently called up to the majors and made one appearance out of the bullpen. He pitched 2⅔ innings of relief in Pittsburgh on April 1, allowing two runs on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts. He was designated for assignment the next day, on April 2.
Sanchez arrived and passed his medical on May 5. Pannoni arrived on the afternoon of the sixth and will undergo a medical test on the seventh.
KIA foreign pitcher Pannoni. / OSEN DB
Before the game against SSG in Incheon on June 6, KIA head coach Kim Jong-kook commented on the two newly signed foreign pitchers. Sanchez and Panoni have been pitching consistently in Taiwan and the United States, so the plan is to have them join the starting rotation as soon as their work visas are issued.
“Sanchez could be this weekend, Sunday, or early next week, depending on what happens with his work visa,” Kim said. I think he’ll be able to pitch once in the first half if possible,” Kim said. He could make his debut this weekend against KT or next week against Samsung before the All-Star break.
Panoni arrived in Korea on the sixth and will have to wait and see. “I don’t know what’s going to happen with Panoni, but he’s been pitching in the U.S. and rotating, so there’s no pressure on him to pitch. I think the schedule will change depending on when he gets his work visa,” Kim said. If possible, he would like to pitch the last three games of the first half.