Casey Kelly to stay with Twins for a fourth season

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Casey Kelly to stay with Twins for a fourth season

Published: 13 Dec. 2021, 16:29

Casey Kelly [YONHAP]

The LG Twins announced Sunday they have reached a deal with veteran pitcher Casey Kelly, bringing the fan-favorite back to the club for a fourth season.

Kelly rejoins the Twins on a deal worth up to $1.5 million. He will earn $1.2 million in guaranteed salary with $300,000 in incentives.

While the KBO enforces a $1-million salary cap on foreign players when they first join local teams, clubs are free to offer deals above that limit if a player returns for additional seasons.

Kelly joined the Twins in 2019, picking up 14 wins and 12 losses with a 2.55 ERA in his debut season. Now three seasons into his KBO career, Kelly has a career 3.00 ERA with 42 wins and 27 losses.

During that time, Kelly has been a big part of a resurgent Twins squad that have made it to the first round of the playoffs for three straight years, a solid turnaround for a team that had failed to qualify the two previous years.

Kelly returns to the KBO in the midst of a KBO record-long run of 57 starts with five or more innings pitched. The streak, which began at the very beginning of the 2020 season, looks set to continue into next year.

Kelly's return means that pitcher Andrew Suarez will not be returning to the club next season.

The Twins last week signed new pitcher Adam Plutko, filling the two spots available under KBO rules. The Twins are still allowed to sign one foreign position player.

BY JIM BULLEY [[email protected]]