By Yoon Chul
Staff Reporter
The Lotte Giants has re-signed foreign slugger Karim Garcia for next year.
Garcia has signed a one-year $375,000 contract, which includes a $100,000 signing-on fee, a 25-percent increase on his deal last year.
The Giants slugger became the fifth player to extend his contract with the Giants.
Mexico-native Garcia, who debuted this year and has played 125 games, had a .283 batting average, with 30 dingers, and won the RBI title, producing 111.
He also helped his team to its first post-season in eight years and became the only foreign candidate for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) this season.
Giants fans made Garcia the first foreign player to get the most ballots (678,557) for the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) All-Star game.
``I'm really happy to play for the Giants again. Though we should be satisfied with fourth in the standings, I will make my team a champion next year,'' he said.
Elsewhere, it has emerged that the Giants may not re-sign closer David Cortes, who joined at the end of last season.