The Angles have signed pitcher Jang Pil-Joong, a 6′2, 190 lb. right-hander from South Korea. Jang is an interesting case because following high school he was pursued by, and was expected to sign with an MLB team, and thus was not drafted by a KBO team. Instead of signing with a Korean team as a free agent (according to this article  (in Korean) Hanwha offered him 250K) he opted to join the Korean army.

The Korean army has a baseball team called 상무 (Sangmu), which plays a regular season versus the KBO “second-level,” or, minor league teams. While statistics for second-level KBO teams are public, the Sangmu team’s statistics are not. However I can tell you the Sangmu team dominated the league this season, going 54-23-7.

One benefit, as far as the Angels and Jang are concerned, is that he’s finished with his compulsory military service and is only 20-years-old. The signing bonus is rumored to be in the range of 550K. According to the above article in Korean Jang uses a fastball/slider pitch mix and can hit 93mph  on the gun.

Jang will join fellow Korean Jung Young-il, who will return to action following Tommy John surgery next spring. Jung was signed in 2006, appeared in fall camp, and then underwent the surgery last summer.

Jang is from Chunan, just minutes away from Gongju, where Park Chan-ho was born and raised.