Jaime Barria joins Hanwha Eagles on $550,000 deal

The 27-year-old right-handed pitcher is set to arrive in Korea on Thursday and join the team on Friday following a medical check

Los Angeles Angels starter Jaime Barria pitches during the first inning of a game against the Texas Rangers on June 13, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. [AP/YONHAP]

The Hanwha Eagles on Wednesday signed a contract with former Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jaime Barria worth $550,000, the club announced the same day on social media.

The Daejeon club on Monday waived foreign pitcher Felix Pena, who had a 6.27 ERA over nine games and last pitched on May 15 when he took a ball to the hand.

Barria, who has spent the 2024 season with the Columbus Clippers, the Triple-A affiliate of the MLB's Cleveland Guardians, had expressed interest in the KBO, according to the Eagles' Instagram post.

Barria picked up a 4.81 ERA over 13 games with one win and zero losses in Columbus and has a career 4.38 ERA over 134 games with 22 wins and 32 losses in the MLB from six years with the Angels.

"I am grateful to the Hanwha Eagles for giving me the opportunity," the 27-year-old right-hander said, according to the post, translated from Korean into English. "I want to show all the abilities I have for the team's victory."

Jaime Barria signs with the Hanwha Eagles in a photo shared by the club on Instagram. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Barria is set to arrive in Korea on Thursday and join the team on Friday following a medical check. He posted a photo from an airplane to his personal Instagram account an hour after the Eagles' announcement on Wednesday.

Barria's signing marks the first foreign player switch-up for the Eagles this season. KBO clubs are allotted two permanent roster changes per season. KBO clubs can sign first-year foreign players to one-year contracts for a maximum of $1 million.

It's the latest change to the Eagles' payroll this week. Eagles manager Choi Won-ho and CEO Park Chan-hyuk both resigned shortly after the team hit the bottom of the table last week, the club announced Monday, bumping up bench coach Chung Kyoung-bae to interim manager.

Barria will join fellow foreign pitcher Ricardo Sanchez, who last played on May 16 and is out due to injury.

The Eagles won their first game against the Lotte Giants 12-3 at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on Tuesday. They'll meet the Samsung Lions in Daegu over the weekend.

BY MARY YANG [mary.yang@joongang.co.kr]