Merrill Kelly (36), who is considered a representative player of the KBO reverse export myth, will play for the Arizona Diamondbacks next year.
“The Arizona club exercised its option of 7 million U.S. dollars for one year in the 2025 season with Kelly. It was already decided,” Forbes said on the 4th (Korea time).
Kelly played for the SK Wyverns in the KBO League and was traded to the U.S. Major League Baseball. During his four seasons with the SK Wyverns from 2015 to 2018, Kelly recorded 48 wins, 32 losses and a 3.86 ERA in 119 games. He led the Korean Series title in 2018 and was offered an offer by a Major League club.
Arizona signed Kelly to a $5.5 million two-year guarantee ahead of the 2019 season. $2 million in salary in 2019 and $3 million in salary in 2020. It was a $500,000 buyout. Additionally, Arizona had club options for 2021 and 2022.
Kelly was 13-14 with a 4.42 ERA in 32 games (183 ⅓ innings) in his first year, while he was 3-2 with a 2.59 ERA in five games in the 2020 shortened season. He performed his starting rotation brilliantly at an affordable price.
Arizona exercised its $4.25 million salary option in 2021, and Kelly went 7-11 with a 4.44 ERA in 27 games (158 innings). With Madison Bumgarner sluggish, Kelly effectively served as the first starter. Arizona also exercised its $5.25 million salary option for 2022. Kelly posted a career-high record in 2022 with 13-8 record with a 3.37 ERA in 33 games (200 ⅓ innings).
With the end of their 2+2 year contract, Arizona held Kelly to a 2+1 year $18 million contract. It was a contract that included $8.5 million in salary for 2023 and 2024, $1 million in buyouts, and $7 million in salary for 2025.
During the six seasons he played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Kelly received a total of 31.5 million U.S. dollars and recorded 53 wins and 44 losses with an ERA of 3.82 in 140 games. His cumulative WAR is 13.5. Compared to his low price tag, he has posted a tremendous amount of performance.
Next year’s annual salary of $7 million (W9.7 billion) is less than this year’s $8.5 million (W8.7 billion). Forbes said, “Kelly has been one of the best pitchers in the National League when he was in good health. It’s more than a bargain at that price.”
Kelly won the World Series title last year with 12 wins and eight losses and an earned run average of 3.29 in 30 games (177 ⅔ innings), but failed to play in many games this year due to his injury. In 13 games (73 ⅔ innings), he only had five wins and one loss with an earned run average of 4.03. He was listed on the injured list due to shoulder pain in late April, and returned to the team in mid-August. Having recovered to health, Kelly is expected to play in the starting lineup for the Arizona Diamondbacks due to his low salary next season. 토토사이트
