(LEAD KBO club Eagles sign new pitcher Sanchez after releasing injured starter Smith

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By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, April 20 (Yonhap) -- The Hanwha Eagles announced their signing of new pitcher Ricardo Sanchez on Thursday, less than 24 hours after releasing injured starter Burch Smith.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club said they have signed Sanchez at US$400,000 for the rest of this season.

The 26-year-old from Venezuela has pitched in three games and 5 1/3 innings in the majors, all of them with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2020. He has a career 32-52 record with a 4.61 ERA in 140 career minor league appearances, 133 of them starts.

The Eagles said Sanchez throws both the four-seam and two-seam fastballs, along with the curveball, slider and changeup. He is expected to join the Eagles later this month.

Prior to their game Wednesday evening, the Eagles asked the KBO to place Smith on waivers.

Smith's first KBO season lasted just 2 2/3 innings. He started against the Kiwoom Heroes on April 1, the first day of the season, but took himself out of the game after facing only 12 batters with right shoulder pain. He gave up two runs on three hits and struck out two batters.

He was later diagnosed with a muscle strain in the shoulder, and the Eagles decided to go in another direction instead of waiting on the 33-year-old pitcher.

Smith, who previously pitched in Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, signed a one-year deal with the Eagles in December. His deal was worth up to US$1 million, the maximum amount allowed for first-year foreign players in the KBO.

KBO clubs are each allowed to sign up to three foreign players, but no more than two pitchers. Felix Pena is the other foreign pitcher for the Eagles.

Through Wednesday's action, the Eagles ranked ninth among 10 teams at 5-9-1 (wins-losses-ties). They finished in last place in each of the past three seasons.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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