An Athletics Guide to Following Korean Baseball

The Korea Baseball Organization is playing preseason games as it builds up to an expected May 4 start. With no baseball on tap for any MLB team, he's a look at players in Korea with Oakland Athletics links.

Well, it’s another day with no baseball – in North America.

In South Korea, it’s a different matter. Over there, having gotten in front of the curve created by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the Korea Baseball Organization is closing in on a getting halfway through a much-delayed spring training en route to a hoped-for March 4 opening.

For the baseball-obsessed, it’s just about the only game in town – the four-team Taiwan League is also moving along, we should point out – and for A’s fans, there are some former Oakland players who might be worth a rooting interest if you decide to spend time following some KBO action.

Here’s a list of former A’s on KBO rosters:

RHP Raul Alcantara, 2016-17 A’s, 2-5, 7.19

Alcantara, now pitched for the Doosan Bears, was at one point a legit prospect for the A’s, He was the No. 3-ranked player in the Oakland organization in 2014, but that was before he underwent Tommy John surgery. He eventually made it to the big leagues, but never found much success. He pitched last year for the KT Wiz (4.01 ERA, 11-11 in 172.2 IP) before leaving them in favor of the Bears this season.

RHP Aaron Brooks, 2015 A’s and 2018-19 A’s, a combined 5-7, 5.71.

Brooks, who will be making his KBO debut with the Kia Tigers this year, was a semi-regular starter for the A’s in 2015 (3-4, 6.71 ERA in 11 games, nine starts) before moving on to the Cubs. He was with the Brewers when the A’s picked him up for the 2018 stretch drive on Sept. 3 (no decision, 0.00 ERA in three games). He started six times in the early going in 2019 before being traded to the Orioles.

LHP Erick Jokisch, (Triple-A Nashville, 2018)

Jokisch, who will be in his second year with the Kiwoom Heroes, made it to the big leagues with the Cubs in 2014, but never made it back despite a 1.81 ERA in four games. The A’s signed him as a minor league free agent for the 2018 season, and he never threatened to make it to the big leagues with Oakland with a 5-11 record and 4.06 ERA with the Nashville Sounds.

INF/OF Taylor Motter, (Double-A contract purchased by the A’s last June 25)

Motter, who will be making his Korea debut this year after signing with the Kiwoom Heroes, never made it to the Coliseum as an Athletic, but he played 141 big league games for the Rays, Mariners and Twins. He played for double-A Midland after the A’s got him in June and he left the organization as free agent to sign with Kiwoom.

RHP Dan Straily, 2012-14 A’s, 13-11, 4.11 in 41 games, all starts.

Straily, who is making his Korea debut after finishing up last season with Baltimore, may be the single most accomplished Major League player in Korea this year, was a 24-round draft pick by the A’s and he was a reasonably impactful starter from 2012-14. He’s across the Pacific with a $1 million deal with the Lotte Giants in large part because of a brutal 9.28 ERA season with Baltimore last year.

Follow Athletics insider John Hickey on Twitter: @JHickey3

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