Korean baseball teams renew contracts with foreign players

In Korean professional baseball, foreign players are often compared to lottery tickets: they can be outstanding, or they may not meet expectations due to injuries or failure to adapt. This is why many clubs prefer players with proven track records. With ten Korean professional baseball clubs virtually concluding contracts with 30 foreign players, 17 players, which is more than half, have experience playing in Korea.

Representative examples include this season's RBI leader Austin Dean (LG), batting leader Guillermo Heredia (SSG), and home run leader Matt Davidson (NC). Among pitchers, James Naile, who played as KIA's ace and led the team to victory in the Korean Series, and Lotte's left-handed starting pitcher Charlie Barnes renewed contracts.

KT will continue to work with right-handed pitcher William Cuevas, who joined in 2019, for seven years. KT also renewed contracts with outfielder Mel Rojas Jr. and recruited pitcher Enmanuel de Jesus, who was released as a free agent from Kiwoom, filling all three foreign players with local experience. Samsung, the runner-up team in this year's Korean Series, has three players with local experience, including Ariel Jurado, Dennys Reyes, and Lewin Diaz.


Heon-Jae Lee uni@donga.com