Hyeon-jong Yang returning to KBO, per report

MLB Rumors: Hyeon-jong Yang, former pitcher of the Kia Tigers of the KBO who was with the Texas Rangers in 2021, is in talks to return to the KBO in 2022, according to a report out of South Korea. Per the report, the Tigers said that they are in talks with Yang, who will be a free agent five days after the conclusion of the World Series.

Yang, 33, had spent his entire professional career with the Kia Tigers of the KBO, making his debut as a 19 year old in 2007, before signing a minor league deal with the Rangers for the 2020 season. The lefty split the 2020 campaign between AAA and the majors, putting up a 5.60 ERA in both AAA and the majors, interestingly. In 35.1 innings over four starts and eight relief appearances in the majors, Yang had a 6.51 FIP, with 25 Ks, 16 walks and nine home runs.

Given Yang’s struggles in the majors and the fact he had been dropped from the 40 man roster, I think the expectation had been that he would return to the KBO for the 2022 season. This would seem to confirm that he will be returning to his former team for the coming year.