William Cuevas, 32, a foreign pitcher for the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) KT Wiz, is back on Korean soil after a year away, and he shows no signs of being tired from the long trip.
“I’m very happy,” he said as he and his family entered the arrivals hall at Incheon International Airport at dawn on Wednesday, “I’m tired, so it doesn’t show on my face, but I’m very excited.”
“I’m happy that I kept my promise to come back,” 먹튀검증 Cuevas said, “I can’t wait to meet my teammates and fans, so stay tuned.”
Cuevas joined KT in 2019 and went 33-23 with a 3.89 ERA in four seasons until May of last year, when he was released due to an elbow injury.
He was the team’s ace every year, leading KT to its first overall title in 2021.
He was also loved for his camaraderie and dedication.
On October 28, 2021, Cuevas threw 108 pitches in seven innings against the NC Dinos, striking out 12 and allowing two runs, and three days later, on October 31, he started again in the regular season finale against the Samsung Lions.
In that game, Cuevas used his superhuman ability to throw 99 pitches in seven innings of no-hit ball to clinch the regular season title for KT.
He also won Game 1 of the Korean Series against the Doosan Bears that year.
That’s not all. Even after he was sent home with an elbow injury last year, Cuevas stayed in Korea for about a month to help new foreign pitcher Wes Benjamin get acclimated.
Before his departure, Cuevas promised fans that he would “come back in a year (after recovering from the injury).”
Upon returning to the United States, Cuevas underwent elbow surgery and continued to play in the Mexican league and the minor leagues of Major League Baseball.
KT recently made an offer to Cuevas after foreign pitcher Bo Schuler struggled, and Cuevas didn’t think twice about signing for $400,000 a year.
“I was very happy when KT contacted me,” he said, “especially my family.”
In fact, KT wasn’t the only team to make an offer for Cuevas, who reportedly had offers from five KBO teams.
“I chose KT because it’s my hometown,” Cuevas said with a laugh.
“After signing with KT, I received 200 to 300 congratulatory messages from KT fans on social media,” he said. “I couldn’t reply to all of them, but I was very grateful. I will repay them with my performance.”
“I know that KT is in a difficult situation right now,” he said, “but we just need to start over. I want to make a big contribution to the team’s performance.”
Cuevas arrived with his wife, son, and youngest daughter, Ella, who was born last October.
KT kept Cuevas’ old number 32 for him. Outfielder Kim Gun-hyung, who wore No. 32, relinquished the number shortly after the announcement of Cuevas’ signing.
Cuevas is expected to make his comeback as early as the 16th of this month for a three-game home series against Samsung at Katie Wise Park in Suwon.