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 ...

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 s...

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...

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...

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 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...

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 becam...

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...

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 ...

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 fi...

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 ...

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 enti...

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 incent...

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 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 sig...