Blue Jays sign South Korean reliever Oh

[February 27, 2018]  TORONTO (Reuters) - The Toronto Blue Jays have signed South Korean free agent reliever Oh Seung-hwan to a one-year contract, the Major League Baseball team said on Monday.

The right-hander went 1-6 with 20 saves and a 4.10 earned run average in 62 games for the St. Louis Cardinals last season.

The 35-year-old Jeongeup native had previously appeared to reach an agreement with the Texas Rangers earlier in February. That deal was pending a physical, but it was never completed.

He made his MLB debut with the Cardinals in 2016 following an 11-year professional career spent between the KBO League in South Korea and Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.

With a strong strikeout ability given control of both his fastball and secondary pitches, Oh enjoyed an impressive first season in MLB, where he began as a setup reliever before becoming the team's closer.

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Seung Hwan Oh (26) delivered a pitch during the ninth inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. The Cardinals won 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

Oh began last season as the Cardinals' closer, but was switched back to a setup man midway through the campaign.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

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