Kiwoom Heroes bring back starter Jokisch for 4th season in KBO

The Kiwoom Heroes announced Thursday they will bring back starter Eric Jokisch for his fourth season in South Korea.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club said Jokisch, 32, has agreed to a new one-year deal worth $1.3 million. He made $900,000 this year.

Jokisch tied for the KBO lead with 16 wins in 2021, while ranking second with 181 1/3 innings pitched and fourth with a 2.93 ERA.

He won the ERA title in 2020. Since 2019, his first in the KBO, Jokisch has posted the league's lowest ERA with 2.76 and lowest walks and hits per innings pitched (WHIP) with 1.13. The left-hander is also third overall in wins (41), strikeouts (387) and innings pitched (522 1/3) in that span.

The Heroes have filled their foreign player quota for 2022. They earlier added former major league All-Star Yasiel Puig to their lineup, and signed a new pitcher Tyler Eppler.

KBO teams are allowed to sign a maximum three players from overseas but cannot carry more than two pitchers.

Of the 10 teams in the KBO, the Doosan Bears and the Kia Tigers have yet to complete their foreign player signings. (Yonhap)