Kia Tigers sign ex-MLB pitcher Sean Nolin

The Kia Tigers signed former major league pitcher Sean Nolin on Sunday, filling up their foreign player quota for 2022 with three new faces. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club said Nolin has agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $900,000. He will make $350,000 in guaranteed salary and $250,000 in signing bonus, with up to $300,000 also available in incentives. Nolin, 32, appeared in 18 major league games for three clubs: two with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2013 and 2014, six with the Oak

Jan. 9, 2022

Veteran outfielder, new GM for revamped KBO club expect big things in 2022

GWANGJU -- For Choi Hyoung-woo, the 38-year-old outfielder for the Kia Tigers, the 2021 season wasn't any fun. But the veteran is confident that things will be far different in the new season. In 2021, the Tigers missed the postseason in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) for the third straight season. And Choi endured his least productive full season as a pro; his .233 batting average, .375 slugging percentage, 12 home runs and 55 RBIs were all Choi's worst numbers since he became an everyd

Jan. 7, 2022

New manager for KBO club vows return to postseason

After winning their 11th Korean Series title in 2017, the Kia Tigers snuck into the postseason in 2018 and then missed the party in each of the next three years. And their new manager, Kim Jong-kook, said Thursday he will look to end the drought in 2022. "We have improved our squad with some aggressive investments in the offseason, and I will make sure these efforts will not go to waste," Kim said at his inaugural press conference in Gwangju, the home city of the Tigers located some

Jan. 6, 2022

New KBO season to open April 2

The new regular season for South Korean professional baseball will open April 2, the league office announced Thursday. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said its 10 clubs will each play 144 games, per usual, starting the first weekend of April. The top five clubs from the 2020 season will host the two-game series on the opening weekend. The matchups are: the Hanwha Eagles against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul; the Lotte Giants versus the Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky

Jan. 6, 2022

Doosan Bears sign ex-MLB pitcher Robert Stock

The Doosan Bears announced Wednesday they have signed former major league pitcher Robert Stock, pairing the hard-throwing right-hander with the reigning MVP Ariel Miranda in the rotation. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club said Stock has agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $700,000. He will earn $400,000 in guaranteed salary and $100,000 in signing bonus. He can make an additional $200,000 in incentives. Stock, 32, was a second-round choice by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2009 majo

Jan. 5, 2022

Kiwoom Heroes bring back starter Jokisch for 4th season in KBO

The Kiwoom Heroes announced Thursday they will bring back starter Eric Jokisch for his fourth season in South Korea. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club said Jokisch, 32, has agreed to a new one-year deal worth $1.3 million. He made $900,000 this year. Jokisch tied for the KBO lead with 16 wins in 2021, while ranking second with 181 1/3 innings pitched and fourth with a 2.93 ERA. He won the ERA title in 2020. Since 2019, his first in the KBO, Jokisch has posted the league's lowest ERA

Dec. 30, 2021

Korean Series champs KT Wiz retain starters Despaigne, Cuevas

The South Korean baseball champions KT Wiz announced Thursday they will bring back both of their foreign starting pitchers for next year. The Wiz said they have signed right-handers Odrisamer Despaigne and William Cuevas to new one-year deals. Despaigne, 34, can earn a maximum $1.35 million, with $1.1 million in salary and signing bonus, plus up to $250,000 in incentives. The 31-year-old Cuevas can earn as much as $1.1 million won -- $1 million in salary and signing bonus, and a maximum $100,0

Dec. 30, 2021

KBO franchise icons chase ring, money as they switch clubs in free agency

After a whirlwind of offseason transactions, there will be some familiar players in unfamiliar uniforms in South Korean baseball in 2022. Players who had spent over a decade with one team have moved on to other clubs -- to chase an elusive championship ring and, if they're being honest, boatloads of money. Park Byung-ho, who won two regular season MVPs with the Kiwoom Heroes, on Wednesday became the latest franchise icon to switch teams this month. He signed a three-year, 3 billion won (US$2.5

Dec. 30, 2021

KT Wiz re-sign free agent Hwang Jae-gyun

The reigning South Korean baseball champions KT Wiz re-signed its free agent third baseman Hwang Jae-gyun on Monday. The Wiz said Hwang agreed to a four-year deal worth 6 billion won ($5.1 million). He will earn 2.9 billion won in total salary, 2.5 billion won in signing bonus and up to 600 million won in incentives. Hwang's previous four-year contract, valued at 8.8 billion won, expired at the end of the 2021 season. As captain of the Wiz in 2021, Hwang batted .291/.358/.402 with 10 home run

Dec. 27, 2021

Kia Tigers sign 2 new foreign players

The Kia Tigers announced their signings of two new foreign players on Monday, adding a former major league outfielder and a career minor league pitcher to their roster. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club inked outfielder Socrates Brito to a one-year contract at $900,000. The 29-year-old from the Dominican Republic will get $500,000 in salary, $100,000 in signing bonus and up to $300,000 in incentives. Ronnie Williams, a 25-year-old right-hander from Miami, agreed to a one-year deal at

Dec. 27, 2021

Reigning KBO MVP Ariel Miranda back with Doosan Bears

Ariel Miranda, the Cuban-born pitcher who won South Korean baseball's MVP award while setting a new strikeout record this year, will be back for another season. The Doosan Bears of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said Friday they have re-signed Miranda to a new one-year deal worth up to $1.9 million. The left-hander will make $1.6 million in salary and $300,000 in signing bonus. In his first KBO season, Miranda led the league with a 2.33 ERA and 225 strikeouts, two more than the previous

Dec. 24, 2021

Ex-MLB pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong rejoins Kia Tigers on 4-year deal

After a forgettable one-season stint in the majors, South Korean left-hander Yang Hyeon-jong is back with the Kia Tigers. The Tigers announced on Friday they have brought back their franchise icon on a four-year contract worth up to 10.3 billion won ($8.7 million). The 33-year-old pitcher will earn 2.5 billion won in total salary, 3 billion won in signing bonus, and a maximum 4.8 billion won in incentives. Yang spent the first 14 seasons of his Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) career with the

Dec. 24, 2021

NC Dinos sign free agent outfielder Son Ah-seop to 4-yr deal

The NC Dinos inked free agent outfielder Son Ah-seop to a four-year contract Friday, flaunting their wealth in what has been a frenetic offseason in South Korean baseball. The Dinos said Son agreed to a 6.4 billion-won ($5.4 million) contract. The 33-year-old will make 3 billion won in total salary, 2.6 billion won in signing bonus and up to 800 million won in incentives. Son has spent his entire 15-year career in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) with the Lotte Giants, and will now take h

Dec. 24, 2021

Lotte Giants sign 2 new American pitchers

The South Korean baseball club Lotte Giants announced their signings of two new American pitchers on Friday. The Giants said former major leaguers Charlie Barnes and Glenn Sparkman will join their rotation on one-year deals. Barnes will make $610,000, with $460,000 in salary and $150,000 in signing bonus. Sparkman will earn a maximum $800,000, with $500,000 in salary and up to $300,000 in incentives. Barnes, 26, was a fourth-round selection by the Minnesota Twins at the 2017 draft. The left-ha

Dec. 24, 2021

Dream becomes reality for star outfielder joining hometown KBO club

South Korean slugger Na Sung-bum grew up in the southern city of Gwangju, rooting for the Kia Tigers. He would frequent their home stadium with his parents, and as a teenage prospect, his middle school and high school teams even played a few games there too. And come 2022, Na will be playing for the Tigers. As a free agent, Na signed a six-year contract worth 15 billion won ($12.6 million) with the Tigers on Thursday, a deal that ties the record for the largest free agent deal in Korea Baseball

Dec. 23, 2021

NC Dinos sign new American outfielder, bring back 2 starters

The NC Dinos filled their foreign player quota for the 2022 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season Tuesday, signing a new outfielder while retaining two starting pitchers. The Dinos announced they have acquired former major league outfielder Nick Martini on a one-year deal worth up to $800,000. Martini, who will replace Aaron Altherr in the lineup, will make $440,000 in salary, $110,000 in signing bonus and up to $250,000 in incentives. Martini, 31, has 112 big league games to his credit, mo

Dec. 21, 2021

KBO's Landers sign ex-MLB pitcher Ivan Nova

Ivan Nova, a former 16-game winner for the New York Yankees, is coming to South Korea. The SSG Landers of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced on Tuesday they signed Nova to a one-year deal at up to US$1 million, the maximum amount of money allowed for new foreign players. The 34-year-old right-hander will make $750,000 in guaranteed salary and $150,000 in signing bonus, and he can pick up an additional $100,000 in incentives. The Dominican Republic-native was signed by the Yankees

Dec. 21, 2021

KBO's Giants add ex-MLB catcher Laird to coaching staff

The South Korean baseball club Lotte Giants hired former major league backstop Gerald Laird as their new catching coach on Sunday. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) team said Laird, 42, will be replacing Hank Conger, who recently joined the Minnesota Twins as first base and catching coach following two seasons with the Giants. Laird played 13 seasons in the majors for five franchises, including six years with the Texas Rangers. He won his first and only World Series ring with the St. Louis

Dec. 12, 2021

Kia Tigers' new manager wants team to run more

As a former stolen base king himself, new Kia Tigers manager Kim Jong-kook would like to see more thieveries from his players going forward. Kim, having been a coach with the Tigers for a decade before being named skipper on Sunday, knows as well as anyone that the Tigers aren't going to slug their way to prominence. But it could be a different story when it comes to stealing bags, Kim said. "Objectively speaking, we're not much of a power-hitting club, but we can be competitive with our

Dec. 6, 2021

Coach Kim Jong-kook tapped as new manager of Kia Tigers

The Kia Tigers announced coach Kim Jong-kook will be the new manager of the South Korean baseball club Sunday. Kim signed a three-year contract for the post for a signing bonus of 300 million won ($253,000) and an annual salary of 250 million won. Kim is nicknamed the "Tigers' one club man," having played all of his 14 seasons with the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) team, starting in 1996. Mostly as a second baseman, he played 1,359 KBO games with a batting average of .247 and 6

Dec. 5, 2021