Back in January, the Blue Jays†pursuit of Roki Sasaki prompted them to take on $11 million of the money owed to Myles Straw in order to get $2 million in international bonus pool space from the Guardians.
While Toronto did not sign the Japanese sensation, who opted for Dodgers, Straw became a valuable extra outfielder for the American League champions, while the extra bonus pool money landed them Seojun Moon, an intriguing South Korean righthander.
The 18-year-old signed for $1.5 million in September and was the Blue Jays’ first significant foray into the Korean amateur market.
Moon is 6-foot-4 and features a low-90s fastball that has been up to 95 mph, while also throwing a changeup, curveball, slider and sinker.
He may be raw, but the Blue Jays aim to develop him as a starter.
“Mentally, I feel pretty confident in my own ability,†Moon said in comments interpreted by pro scouting manager Bryan Lee. “Physically, I still need to grow and get stronger and throw harder. So I want to just get better at every component of my game.â€
He chose to do that with the Blue Jays rather than entering the Korea Baseball Organization draft because “as a young child, I’ve always dreamt of pitching at the big league level,” Moon said, “so I decided to make this choice now instead of later.
“This is where the best players play.”
The Blue Jays intended to have him take part in some of their fall development camps after he made a visit to Rogers Centre.
“It’s my first time seeing such a big stadium,†Moon said. “It actually motivates me more so I could be here some day.â€
Discover more from 6up.net
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.