Marlins Acquire Former Rangers Pitcher, Designate Wook-Suk Go

The Miami Marlins have acquired right-hander Shaun Anderson from the Texas Rangers in exchange for cash. Miami has designated right-hander Woo-Suk Go for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, per Craig Mish of The Miami Heard. Anderson was recently designated for assignment by the Rangers on Sunday. He was selected to the club’s roster after signing a minor league deal in April. A third-round pick by the Boston Red Sox in 2016, Anderson made his big league debut with the San Francisco Giants in 2019.

Marlins Acquire Shaun Anderson

Anderson pitched to mediocre results in a swing role. He posted a 5.44 ERA in 96 innings across 28 appearances (16 starts). Major league innings have been difficult for Anderson since then, just making 25 big league appearances across five organizations between 2020-22. In that time, he pitched to a 6.85 ERA. Anderson’s struggles at the major league level led him to sign with the KIA Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization in 2023. The right-hander succeeded as a starter with the club, posting a 3.76 ERA in 14 appearances. Anderson returned to MLB in a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies late in the season. He gave up 28 runs (11 homer runs) in starts with the Phillies Triple-A affiliate.

The Rangers Took a Chance on Anderson

When Anderson was selected to the roster earlier this month, making two appearances for the Rangers. He allowed two runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts that was good for a 5.40 ERA in 3 1/3 innings. Anderson is in his final minor league option year. That allows him to play between Miami and Triple-A Jacksonville without going through waivers.

Go, 25, was one of the top relievers in the KBO, making his way to MLB via the posting system. The San Diego Padres quickly cut ties with him after signing a two-year, $4.5 million. He was sent to the Marlins as a financial counterweight in the Luis Arráez trade. Go is logging a 3.00 ERA in nine innings in Triple-A since the trade. Scouting reports on Go show that his fastball can hit 98 mph in the KBO. When he came to spring training, reports out of Padres camp saw it in the 92-94 mph range.

Due to his $4.5 million contract, Go seems like a lock to clear waivers if he gets there. Miami has until Tuesday to explore any trade before placing him on waivers. If he clears, he’ll likely be on an assignment to Jacksonville. Perhaps there he can redevelop his game before returning to the majors.