Thomas Pannoni (29) took the mound for the KIA Tigers. In his return to the KBO, he threw 76 pitches over four innings, allowing two runs on four hits. He led KIA to a 3-2 comeback win.
After the game, we asked Pannoni how it felt to be back in Korea.
“I loved playing in Korea last season. I was so excited and happy to come back and play here again.”
Panoni broke into the KBO in 2022 as a substitute outfielder.
In 14 games and 82⅔ innings, he went 3-4 with a 2.72 ERA. He had eight quality starts, four of which were QS+. His strikeout-to-walk ratio was also respectable, with 24 walks and 73 strikeouts. As the month progressed, his performance was on an upward curve. He had a 4.20 ERA in July, a 1.78 ERA in August, 카지노사이트 and a 1.44 ERA in September.
The player himself believed that he would be re-signed.
However, KIA had other ideas. They wanted a hard-throwing starter rather than a fastballer. That’s why they brought in a duo of fireballers, including Anderson Medina. But this choice was a failure. That’s why Panoni is once again on Korean soil as a substitute foreigner.
When asked how he felt about not being selected by Kia, he paused for a moment before saying, “I was a little bit upset. “During the offseason, I was upset. I came here, pitched well, and thought I was going to come back and start the season. I was upset, but it’s in the past. I’m just happy to be back here.”
He came back sharpening his primary weapon, his slider, but couldn’t overcome the limitations of a finesse pitcher.
In 16 games, he went 6-3 with a 4.26 ERA. His wins were up, but his overall numbers were down. Only five quality starts (one quality start+). His walks allowed per inning (WHIP) increased from 1.23 to 1.32. His Wins Above Replacement (WAR) dropped from 1.90 to 0.84. His fastball averaged 141 mph. It’s a pitch that struggles with finesse and timing.
It was difficult for KIA to make him a top priority for re-signing next season.
With the external market conditions being so poor, they only kept Pannoni as an ‘insurance policy’.
After a strong 2022 season, it was hard to expect him to re-sign after a less-than-satisfactory year. He’s a shrewd player, and it’s hard to imagine he wouldn’t be able to figure out what was going on.
In the end, Panoni’s choice was a preemptive parting of ways with Kia. He let go before he let go.
He signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs and returned to his hometown.
He will start next season in Triple-A, but his salary will rise to $800,000 if he is called up to the big leagues. The deal also includes an invitation to major league spring training.
If he survives the camp competition, he could get a chance to play in the big leagues early in the season. But there’s no guarantee. Unless he gets called up to the big leagues and explodes his potential, he won’t make as much money as he did in Korea. Nonetheless, Panoni chose the painful parting first.
He couldn’t afford to be abandoned twice.
A ninth-round pick of the Cleveland Indians in 2013, Pannoni played for Cleveland, the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, 에볼루션 바카라사이트 and Milwaukee Blue Jays before joining the KBO as a replacement for the KIA Tigers in the 2022 season.
In 50 career big league games, he has a 7-7 record with a 5.46 ERA in 118⅔ innings pitched.