Orioles sign Suk-min Yoon to 3-year, $5.575 million deal

The Baltimore Orioles have agreed to terms on a three-year, $5.575 million contract with Korean right-hander Suk-min Yoon, according to a baseball source. Yoon can earn up to $1.25MM per season in incentives based on games started, and those bonuses will be used as salary escalators for the next season. If all incentive clauses are met, the total value of the deal could reach $13.075MM over the three seasons. The deal allows Yoon to become a free agent at the end of the three years, language that will pay for flights for his family, and protection against being sent to the minors.

Yoon will receive a $675K signing bonus before being paid $750K in 2014, $1.75MM in 2015, and $2.4MM in 2016 in guaranteed money, according to a source. Here's a breakdown of the deal:

2014: $675K signing bonus + $750K base salary = $1.425MM guarantee, Can earn $1.25MM in incentives for games started. Potential 2014 total = $2.675MM

2015: $1.75MM base salary, + $1.25MM salary escalator if he reaches incentives in previous season = $3MM. Can earn an additional $1.25MM in incentives for games started. Potential 2015 total = $4.25MM

2016: $2.4M base salary + $2.5MM salary escalator if he reaches incentives in previous seasons = $4.9MM. Can earn an additional $1.25MM in incentives for games started. Potential 2016 total = $6.15MM.

TOTAL: $675K bonus + $750K base + $1.75MM base + $2.4MM base = $5.575MM guaranteed

$2.675MM + $4.25MM + $6.15MM = $13.075MM in potential total earnings

Yoon, 27, had been linked to the Red Sox, Rangers, Twins, Cubs, Giants, Blue Jays and Diamondbacks in recent weeks, but the Orioles have been viewed as the favorite in the latest reports.

The Orioles have been aggressive in their pursuit of starting pitchers in recent days, with A.J. Burnett, Ubaldo Jimenez and Ervin Santana among the options they have considered. They are likely to add another starter in the near future, with Santana and Jimenez among the possibilities.

Yoon suffered from a mysterious shoulder surgery last season which limited him to 11 starts and 19 relief appearances on the season with the KIA Tigers. In that time, he posted a 3-6 record and 4.00 ERA in what served as one of the worst seasons of his KBO career.

Yoon's best season came in 2011, when he was 17-5 with a 2.45 ERA in 27 starts. He followed up with a 9-8 record and 3.12 ERA in 2012, and has a career 73-59 record and 3.19 ERA in 1,129 innings over nine seasons with the Tigers.

The agreement was first reported by Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, while Britt Ghiroli of MLB.com was first to note that it was a three-year, $5.75MM deal.