The NC Dinos, who sent "triple pitcher" Eric Pedi away, recruited left-hander Daniel Castano (29) as a new foreign pitcher.
Pedi, who proved his competitiveness in the big league, signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the Chicago White Sox and returned to the United States.
One of the players who has to erase Fedi's shadow is new foreign pitcher Daniel Castano (29).
Castano, 190 cm tall and weighing 104 kg, played only for the Miami Marlins since 2017 after being drafted by the st. Louis Cardinals in the 2016 draft.
Castano, who made his big league debut in 2020, made 17 starts in 24 games in four seasons, with a 2-7 record and a 4.47 ERA.
His overall record in the minor leagues is 42 wins, 28 losses, and 3.91 ERA in 120 games (88 starts) in seven seasons.
In the 2023 season, he recorded eight runs in three innings in two games in the first division, and in the minor leagues, he started nine times in 19 games, posting 5 wins, 2 losses and a 4.66 ERA.
Castano knows Pedi well even before he came to NC.
This is because the Washington Nationals, where Pedi has been until 2022, are in a rivalry with Miami in the National League (NL) East.
It was also Pedi who last spoke to Castano before he agreed to a contract with NC.
"Peddy explained how good NC is to his family," Castano recalled in an interview with Yonhap News on Tuesday. "As a wife and two sons, it was a huge advantage for me."
He also said that Pedi praised NC's interpretation support and physical therapy, adding, "It was an important part for me because I felt something wrong with my body when I went to the Major League from Triple-A."
He also heard various advice on Korean baseball and training routines.
At the same time, Castano did not hide his competition for Pedi.
Castano confidently said, "It's great to get to the MVP and Triple Crown, but it would be great if I could win NC," adding, "I want to win NC and get over Pedi."
"If you play well while helping and learning with NC colleagues, your personal record will naturally follow," he said.
When asked about his thoughts on returning to the big league, he replied, "It would be wonderful if NC wants to extend his contract after a great year." This seems to mean that he will focus on NC this year without any other thoughts.
Castano cited breaking balls and his ability to manage the game as his strengths.
"It is a type of pitch that can be thrown (with confidence) in any ball count. Even if a batter predicts it, he cannot hit easily," he said in expressing confidence.
Castano raised the proportion of cut fastballs to 41.0% in the 2022 season and lowered the four-seam fastball utilization to 12.3%.
In the 2023 season, he threw cut fastballs (39.1%), sliders (26.1%), sinkers (17.4%), changeups (10.1%), and four-seam fastballs (7.2%).