Twins Take a Chance on Former KBO Closer Woo-Suk Go

[Cody Christie]

The Twins made a low-risk addition to their bullpen depth on Sunday, acquiring right-handed reliever Woo-Suk Go from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for cash considerations. While the move won't generate significant excitement, it gives Minnesota another intriguing arm to evaluate as the club continues to fight for an American League Wild Card spot.

Because Go had an assignment clause in his contract, the Twins must add him to the 40-man roster. Fortunately, Minnesota already had an open 40-man roster spot, so no corresponding move was necessary.

Go signed a minor league contract with Detroit last December after spending the 2024 season in the Miami Marlins organization. The Tigers never promoted him to the major league roster, despite an impressive first half with Triple-A Toledo.

Across 27 2/3 innings this season, Go posted a 2.60 ERA while striking out 29.1% of opposing hitters. He also has yet to surrender a home run. Some of those numbers have been helped by a favorable .239 batting average on balls in play, but the underlying traits remain appealing. His ability to miss bats and keep the ball on the ground gives the Twins another bullpen option with upside. That profile is especially valuable considering Minnesota's struggles to find consistency in relief.

Outside of Yoendrys Gómez and Andrew Morris, few Twins relievers have provided dependable production throughout the first half. Morris owns an above-average 17.1 K-BB% rate and a 3.04 xERA over 40 innings. Gómez has taken on the closer role and has posted a 234 ERA+ with a 15.6 K-BB%. 

As a unit, Minnesota's bullpen has posted a 5.28 ERA with a 19.9% strikeout rate, an 11.5% walk rate, and a 39.7% ground-ball rate. All four marks rank among the bottom ten bullpens in Major League Baseball. Only five teams have a lower fWAR total, and their -1.2 WPA ranks 23rd overall. 

Adding Go doesn't solve those issues overnight, but it represents another attempt by the front office to uncover value without sacrificing future assets. The 26-year-old arrives with an impressive résumé from Korea. Before coming to Major League Baseball, Go was one of the KBO League's top closers, relying on a lively fastball and swing-and-miss slider to pile up saves. His transition to affiliated baseball has been uneven, particularly with his command, but his strikeout ability has continued to show up whenever he's been healthy.

Minnesota is betting that those traits can translate against major league hitters. The timing also makes sense. The Twins improved to 44-47 with Sunday's victory over the Yankees and remain only two games behind an American League Wild Card spot. With the trade deadline still several weeks away, the front office isn't locked into either buying or selling. Moves like this allow the organization to add potential contributors while maintaining payroll flexibility and preserving its prospect depth.

According to reports, Go is expected to join the Twins on Tuesday and should have an opportunity to make his major league debut shortly thereafter. How long he remains in Minnesota may ultimately depend on both his performance and the club's direction over the next few weeks.

If the Twins stay in the postseason race, Go will have to earn every appearance in a competitive bullpen. If Minnesota slips further behind before the trade deadline, he could receive a longer opportunity to prove he belongs as the organization evaluates arms for both the remainder of 2026 and beyond.

View full rumor

[Danchat]

Not only did they have a 40 man roster spot open, but they could also easily shift Abel, Sands, or Banda to the 60 day IL to get more spots. Might as well take a shot on a guy who isn't old and put up pretty good numbers at AAA.

[Cody Christie]

17 minutes ago, Danchat said:

Not only did they have a 40 man roster spot open, but they could also easily shift Abel, Sands, or Banda to the 60 day IL to get more spots. Might as well take a shot on a guy who isn't old and put up pretty good numbers at AAA.

Agreed. After the Banda injury, they needed some kind of addition.

[AceWrigley]

If he can throw strikes and get some people out when needed it will be an improvement.