Former Chicago Cubs Slugger Patrick Wisdom Signs Deal With KBO Team

Patrick Wisdom is now heading overseas to play in the KBO after he and the Chicago Cubs parted ways this offseason.

Jul 29, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Patrick Wisdom (16) at bat in the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

For a while, it looked like Patrick Wisdom was going to be a major part of the Chicago Cubs.

The former 52nd overall pick of the 2012 draft by the St. Louis Cardinals never quite found his footing in Major League Baseball, bouncing around to two other clubs before he signed a deal with the Cubs during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign that saw him appear in just two MLB games for them.

He burst onto the scene the following season, though.

Wisdom became a fan favorite in 2021, slashing .231/.305/.518 with 28 home runs and 61 RBI across his 108 games that earned him a fourth place finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

The power hitter looked like he was going to finally reach his potential in Chicago, giving them a lethal home run threat while also having the ability to play third and first base in the field.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

Wisdom became a boom-or-bust player where the home runs were still part of his game, but if the ball wasn't going over the fence then he didn't do a whole lot else.

This resulted in reduced playing time to the point where he appeared in just 75 games this past season.

Unsurprisingly, the Cubs non-tendered him this winter, allowing him to hit the open market as a free agent where he was expected to have some sort of market based on his ability to blast homers and be a platoon option against left-handed pitchers.

But, Wisdom has found another endeavor.

According to Jeeyo Yoo of Yonhap News, the slugger has reached an agreement with the Kia Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization.

Players who are struggling in Major League Baseball have found their footing playing overseas and used that as a way to get back to the MLB.

It's unclear if that's the plan Wisdom has in mind or if he's just ready to try something new.

Either way, the former Cub will be playing baseball in South Korea next season.