I want this pitcher for 2G consecutive QS until the farewell match! Why did you choose to return home instead of staying…Possible comeback next year?

Jul 23, 2025

I want this pitcher for 2G consecutive QS until the farewell match! Why did you choose to return home instead of staying…Possible comeback next year?
A game between the Kiwoom Heroes and the Lotte Giants at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 22nd. Kiwoom Wells is pitching hard. Gocheok = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.07.22/



I want this pitcher for 2G consecutive QS until the farewell match! Why did you choose to return home instead of staying…Possible comeback next year?
A game between the Kiwoom Heroes and the Lotte Giants at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 22nd. Kiwoom Wells is pitching hard. Gocheok = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.07.22/
"The atmosphere was different from the first game. I knew how to throw it well."

He did his part until the farewell exhibition. He didn't add a win, but he said goodbye pleasantly with a quality start (less than three earned runs in six innings) for the second consecutive game,

This is a good performance for a player who suddenly joined the team with a contract of 20 innings, 1 win, 1 loss, and 3.15.6 weeks of ERA in four games. The left-hander throwing a fastball in the late 140km range, the pitching form is also stable, and various pitches such as slider curve changeups were also well received.




Key?V Heroes Lachlan Wells, 28, is the main character. As a foreign player, he was relatively young and impressive in the Australian League (ABL), and although he did not taste the big leagues, he has lived in the U.S. minor leagues such as Double A for more than 10 years. His twin brother is also a former major leaguer who played for the Baltimore Orioles for two years.

In the Gocheok Lotte Giants match on the 22nd, 'No. 1 team batting average' against the Lotte lineup, he pitched hard with three runs in six innings, laying the foundation for the team's victory.

However, Wells ended his life in Korea. Kiwoom club "Wells' contract (which joined on June 11) is due on the 23rd. I will return to Australia on the 24th."




In fact, the Kiwoom team was quite satisfied with Wells' performance. Since he also used one foreign player replacement ticket anyway, he recommended that he stay with him until the end of the season.

I want this pitcher for 2G consecutive QS until the farewell match! Why did you choose to return home instead of staying…Possible comeback next year?
A game between the Kiwoom Heroes and the Lotte Giants at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 22nd. Kiwoom Wells is pitching hard. Gocheok = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.07.22/
But Wells declined. He reiterated that he had to work for only six weeks in his personal life and return to Australia. Lim Ji-yeol, a 12-year Kiwoom clubman, is also a pitcher who does his part. I can't help it, but it's a shame" expressed his intentions.

In the end, Kiwoom decided to find a new foreign pitcher to replace Wells and stay with foreign hitter Cardinez, who returned from injury, until the end of the season.




What is Wells' personal situation. The Australian League is facing a survival crisis, with three of the six teams disbanded. At least if you make a living from baseball, it's not easy to make more money than staying in Korea and playing at this point.

If Wells signs a contract with Kiwoom for the rest of the season, Kiwoom will have a right to hold. Perhaps Wells was satisfied with his last performance and refused to sign a contract to receive love calls from other teams next season. Starting next year, professional baseball will introduce 'Asian Quarter'. Australian Wells could also come to South Korea in the Asian quarter.

This is also not very likely. First of all, if any team approached Wells this year, this is obvious tamping (pre-illegal contact).

If Wells wanted to advance to Korea next season, there is also a way to ask Kiwoom to extend the six-week contract. You can hold your own showcase stably for a longer time, and Kiwoom's right to hold is limited to this year. Short-term outsiders cannot play in the postseason, but Kiwoom is already out of the fall baseball, so there is no pressure.

If Wells returns to Korea next season, he is likely to be a foreign player in the Asian quarter rather than a foreign player. There is also a possibility that the Asian quarter will reinforce the vulnerable positions of fielders such as shortstop, but most teams are known to want starting pitchers. Among them, young players from Japan's independent league or second division, like Keisho Shirakawa (former Doosan), are likely to be targeted.

However, the maximum amount in the Asian quarter is $200,000 (up to $20,000 per month), which is only one-fifth of that of foreign players. Expectations are not that high. He is a player who has already experienced Korean life and considering the advantage of left-handers, there may be a team he wants as well as Kiwoom.

I want this pitcher for 2G consecutive QS until the farewell match! Why did you choose to return home instead of staying…Possible comeback next year?
A game between the Kiwoom Heroes and the Lotte Giants at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 22nd. Kiwoom's acting head coach Seol Jong-jin welcomes starting Wells. Gocheok = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.07.22/
After the game, Wells was in good condition due to the long break period. Rather than making a strategy, I believed in the merits of my ball and threw aggressively into the strike zone. When catcher (Kim Gun-hee) came up in the sixth inning, he said 'Let's trust the ball because it's good,' and I threw it with that mindset. I think there was a good result thanks to this,' he said, looking back at the game.

Then "Right now, I only feel happy that the team won. I'm going to go home and organize my thoughts, but I think my 6 weeks in Korea and my life with my team members will be memorable for a long time. I liked the passionate fans, the atmosphere that I could only feel here, and above all, I was able to work with good colleagues," he said, leaving a lingering impression.





This article was translated by Naver AI translator.