Pitcher Casey Kelly (35), released by the LG Twins of the KBO, reunites with his father in the United States. He signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds to join his father’s Triple-A Louisville Bats.
Cincinnati’s Triple-A Louisville affiliate announced the signing of Kelly on Aug. 8 (KST), introducing him as the son of manager Pat Kelly (69). The team added that it was the first time in franchise history that a father and son would be on the same team.
The minor league’s website also said, “Pitcher Casey Kelly, son of manager Pat Kelly, has joined the Louisville Bats,” making it the first time Kelly will be managing his son. It’s also the first time the Kellys will be together at the professional level.
His father, Pat Kelly, is the seventh manager in minor league history to reach 2,000 career wins. The former catcher played three games for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1980, but has been managing since 1986 and is in his 33rd season with 16 minor league organizations.
He reached the 2,000-win milestone in the minor leagues on March 12, and his son Kelly, who was in Korea at the time, sent him a video congratulatory message. Kelly was released by LG and returned to the U.S. after six years in Korea to start over with his father’s team.
Kelly will make his first start for his father’s team on April 12 against Charlotte.
It’s been a long time since 2018 for Kelly, who spent the last six years in South Korea. Returning to the majors won’t be easy, but he’ll need to prove he can compete for the rest of the season to get another chance.
Realistically, a big league call-up from Cincinnati isn’t easy. The Reds have a five-man starting rotation of Hunter Green, Andrew Abbott, Nick Rodolo, Nick Martinez, and Carson Spears. In the event of an injury, young pitchers like Justus Sheffield and Ryon Richardson are prioritized at Triple-A.
“Kelly is on track to return to the United States for the first time since 2018, but he’ll have to fight for a spot in the majors,” said Major League Baseball Trade Rumors (MLBTR), 메이저사이트 which broke the news of Kelly’s signing. “A strong showing in the minors could increase interest in him ahead of the 2025 season, even if he doesn’t get a major league opportunity this year.
Kelly is a former top prospect who was selected by the Boston Red Sox with the 30th overall pick in the first round of the 2008 draft. At the time of his draft, he was recognized as a shortstop with talent on both sides of the plate, but focused on pitching. In December 2010, he was traded to the San Diego Padres along with Anthony Rizzo in exchange for slugger Andrian Gonzalez, and in 2012, he made his major league debut.
He started all six games in his first year,
But it fell short of expectations with a 2-3 record and a 6.21 ERA, and the following spring, he suffered elbow pain and underwent Tommy John surgery. He rehabbed and returned to the majors in 2015, but went 2-2 with a 7.94 ERA in three games (two starts) and was traded to the Atlanta Braves after the season.
However, he struggled again in 2016, going 3-3 with a 5.82 ERA in 10 games (1 start), and remained in the minors in 2017. In 2018, after signing a minor contract with the San Francisco Giants, he was called up and performed well in seven games (three starts) with a 3.04 ERA. In four seasons in the majors, he went 26-11 with a 5.46 ERA in 26 games (12 starts and 85⅔ innings), striking out 56 batters.
Despite his lack of success in the major leagues, he began an era of success in the KBO in 2019. From 2019 to July of this year, he played in six seasons with LG, going 163 games (989⅓ innings) with a 73-46 record, 3.25 ERA, and 753 strikeouts in 753 innings. He ranks third all-time in wins and innings pitched and fourth in strikeouts by a foreign player in the KBO. Kelly won double-digit games for five consecutive years, including the most wins (16) in 2022, making him the longest-serving foreign player in LG’s history.
He was also strong in big games,
Going 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA in eight postseason appearances, and last year, he won Game 5 of the Korean Series to lead LG to its first championship in 29 years. He was re-signed for the win, but struggled this year, going 5-8 with a 4.51 ERA in 19 games, and LG released him in favor of Eliezer Rodriguez. He said goodbye to the team and fans at a farewell ceremony after a rainout against Doosan in Jamsil on March 20.