A few notes and thoughts on O's agreement with Suk-min Yoon

So the Orioles reached an agreement today with Korean pitcher Suk-min Yoon on a three-year contract. Here are a few notes on the 27-year-old right-hander: * Yoon dealt with some shoulder issues last season when he pitched as both a starter and reliever for the Kia Tigers of the Korean Baseball Organization. He went 3-6 with seven saves and an ERA of 4.00. Over 87 2/3 innings, he fanned 76. * Yoon's best season was in 2011 when he went 17-5 with an ERA of 2.45 and 178 strikeouts to be named the league MVP. The Orioles watched the Scott Boras client and three-time Korean All-Star throw late last month in southern California. * Yoon has some experience in international competition and was on the South Korean gold medal team in the 2008 Olympics. In the 2009 World Baseball Classic, he went 2-0 with an ERA of 1.13. In the 2013 WBC, he was 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA in 4 1/3 innings. * The 6-foot, 190-lb. right-hander has pitched nine seasons for the Kia Tigers with a career mark of 73-59 and an ERA of 3.19 with 949 strikeouts over 1,129 innings to go with a 1.198 WHIP. * In this Yoon profile from GSI, the scouting report on Yoon lists that his average fastball velocity sits around 91-92 mph. Yoon is said to throw six pitches, but mainly relies on a hard-breaking slider and an above-average changeup as his out pitches. Some have called Yoon the second-best pitcher from the Korean league behind Hyun-jin Ryu, the left-hander who completed his first season in the majors in 2013 with the Dodgers. Ryu went 14-8 with an ERA of 3.00 over 30 starts and 192 innings for Los Angeles. The Orioles have not announced this deal yet, and yes, it is pending a physical. It is interesting that Grant Balfour, who showed no signs of a shoulder problem last season, did not pass the O's physical, but Yoon, who did have a shoulder issue last year, has agreed with the team on a deal. I think we should keep in mind that when club doctors size up a player, they need to project as best they can the future health of the player. So past issues are just one aspect of what they look at. Many Twitter followers today asked me if this signing means the O's would not pursue another starter such as Ubaldo Jimenez or Ervin Santana. I would expect it doesn't keep the team from pursuing one or both of those pitchers. Yes, there should be money available to get more pitching. Since Yoon has some closing experience, it will be interesting to see if there is any chance he could be used in that role. My guess is the club sees him as a starter at the outset. But he'll have to prove he should get one of the five rotation spots and he won't just be handed a job.