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Hanwha Eagles first baseman Kim Tae-kyun will likely be the biggest prize on the free agent market this offseason. Kim could potentially become the highest paid player in Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) history.
/ Korea Times File |
Slugger Will Hit Open Market Nov. 1, With Many Suitors Expected
By Yoon Chul
Staff Reporter
The war for the Korean Series championship ended on Saturday but a new war is about to begin.
The free agent (FA) market will open Nov 1, eight days after the Kia Tigers finished off the SK Wyverns in Game 7.
By far the biggest prize in the FA pool will be Hanwha Eagles first baseman Kim Tae-kyun, with several Korean teams and others from Japan expected to pursue the slugger.
If the 2nd World Baseball Classic's home run king decides to stay in Korea, many believe he will become the highest-paid player ever in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).
Kim received a one-year contract extension last season from the Eagles, which saw his salary rise from 290 million won to 420 million won. The move was meant to give the Eagles the best chance of resigning him when he becomes an FA this year.
According to league rules, if another KBO team wants to sign Kim, it must pay the Eagles an amount equivalent to up to 450 percent of his current salary, which would amount to a price tag of up to 1.89 trillion won.
A team who signs another team's free agent could also choose to pay 300 percent of the player's previous salary and allow the team to take one if its players. The signing team would have the right to protect 18 players and the free agent's former team could select any player not on that list.
The KBO banned multi-year contracts last year which was why the Eagles were only able to offer Kim a one-year deal. However, this rule does not prevent teams from signing players to multi-year contracts and not registering them with the league.
Moving to another KBO team may not be a lucrative choice for Kim. According to league rules, the Eagles, as Kim's current team, are not limited in the salary increase they can offer, while other teams could only increase his current salary by 50 percent.
The highest-paid players in the KBO in 2009 were Son Min-han of the Lotte Giants, Kim Dong-joo of the Doosan Bears and Yang Joon-hyuk of the Samsung Lions, who each earned 700 million won.
Shim Jung-soo was paid 750 million won each year from 2005 to 2008, the highest one-year salary in league history. In addition, Shim also earned a 750 million won signing bonus each year.
Some believe Kim could make 800 million won or more if he stays with the Eagles. The most he could make with another team is 620 million won, however, teams could also make an agreement with Kim for a big raise in his second year.
Yoon said he's confident that they would win any bidding war for the infielder. However, two of the league's richest teams, the Samsung Lions and the LG Twins, are also believed to be interested in acquiring his services.
yc@koreatimes.co.kr
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