KBO 20 Wins Peddy, Released from St. Louis... Will NC Return Materialize?

[Financial News]  Eric Peddy (31), a right-handed pitcher who made a glamorous return to the dream big leagues using the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) League as a stepping stone, has finally been notified of his release from the St. Louis Cardinals. With Peddy's Major League career facing a crisis just one year after dominating the KBO League and winning MVP with the NC Dinos, the possibility of his return to the NC Dinos is rapidly emerging.
American Major League Baseball (MLB) St. Louis officially announced on the 24th (Korean time) that "Peddy has been designated for assignment (DFA)." This is essentially a procedure for release from the team, and if Peddy does not receive an offer from another team within 48 hours, he will become a free agent (FA).
Peddy started 20 games this year, recording 3 wins and 10 losses with an ERA of 5.22, a disappointing performance. On May 10, he seemed to signal a revival with his first MLB complete game shutout (9 innings, 6 hits, no runs) against the Washington Nationals, but he fell into a severe slump, failing to complete 5 innings in all three starts in July.
St. Louis eventually decided to exclude Peddy from the roster to promote Andre Granillo to the big leagues and give Michael McGreevy a starting opportunity. Oliver Marmol, the St. Louis manager, stated, "Peddy understood that we gave him enough opportunities, and now it's time to hand over the chance to the young pitcher McGreevy," formalizing the separation.



Peddy was a pitcher who completely dominated the KBO League wearing the NC Dinos uniform in 2023. At that time, he recorded 20 wins, 6 losses, an ERA of 2.00, and 209 strikeouts, achieving the triple crown in wins, ERA, and strikeouts. His overwhelming performance even created the new term 'Peddy Effect' as he won the regular season MVP.
Using this performance as a stepping stone, the Chicago White Sox signed a large contract with Peddy in December 2023, worth a total of $15 million (about 20 billion KRW) over two years, bringing him to the big leagues. However, he was traded to St. Louis through a three-way trade last July and now faces separation from the team just one year later.
Considering the overwhelming pitching and stable control he showed in the KBO League, if Peddy fails to secure another opportunity in MLB and becomes a free agent, his former team, the NC Dinos, may find it hard to overlook him. There are few cards as reliable as Peddy. As the Hanwha Eagles have proven this season, in Korean baseball, the ability of foreign players is more important than free agents. 
Peddy holds the retention rights with NC, so if he returns to Korea, he must sign with NC. 
Whether 'KBO MVP' Eric Peddy will stand on the Korean mound again is drawing hot attention and anticipation from fans.



jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter