Bears sign shortstop Park Chan-ho, re-sign own free agent Jo Soo-haeng
Doosan Bears shortstop Park Chan-ho poses in his new uniform at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul after signing with the Korea Baseball Organization club as a free agent, Tuesday. Courtesy of the Bears
The Doosan Bears signed free agent shortstop Park Chan-ho to a multiyear contract on Tuesday, as the first domino fell in South Korean baseball's open market for the winter.
The Bears said Park agreed to a four-year deal worth up to 8 billion won ($5.5 million) in total. He received a signing bonus of 5 billion won and will make 2.8 billion won in total salary. He can make an additional 200 million won in incentives.
Park, 30, is the first of 21 free agents to sign since the market opened for business on Nov. 9.
The sleek-fielding shortstop had spent the first 10 seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) with the Kia Tigers, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2013 draft. In 1,088 career games, Park has a .266/.328/.332 line with 23 home runs, 353 RBIs, 514 runs scored and 187 steals.
Over the past five seasons, Park has logged the most innings at shortstop in the KBO with 5,481. He was named the KBO Fielding Award winner at his position in 2023 and 2024, and also nabbed his first career Golden Glove, given to the best overall player at each position, in 2024.
Park led the KBO in steals in 2019 and 2022. Since 2019, Park has swiped 182 bags, the second-highest total in the KBO in that span, behind only his Bears teammate Jung Soo-bin (185).
Both the Tigers and the Bears missed the postseason in 2025, but the Bears fared better in the second half than the Tigers as their young position players made the most of their increased playing opportunity.
The Bears will now count on Park to be the sage veteran voice in the infield, where he will be surrounded by 20-something up-and-comers.
"Park Chan-ho is one of the best defensive shortstops in the league and he can be the stabilizing force on our youthful team," the Bears said. "He is a great leadoff hitter with aggressive baserunning style. We expect him to breathe new life into our team."
Park said he grew up a Bears fan and he was "honored and overwhelmed" to be donning that team's uniform. He also thanked fans of the Tigers for their support over the past dozen years.
KBO free agents are divided into three classes based on their salaries over the past three seasons, and different compensation rules apply to each class.
Park, who earned 450 million won this year, fell in Class A, because he ranked in the top three in salary on the Tigers and top 30 in the league. By signing Park, the Bears must pay the Tigers twice the amount of his previous salary and send a player not on its protected list, or pay the Tigers three times the amount of the player's previous salary.
Also on Tuesday, the Bears re-signed their own free agent Jo Soo-haeng, handing the 32-year-old outfielder a four-year deal worth up to 1.6 billion won.
The Bears said Jo took 600 million won in signing bonus and will earn 800 million won in total salary. He can earn another 200 million won in incentives.
One of the best base stealers in the KBO, Jo swiped a league-best 64 bags in 2024 and stole 30 more in 2025 to finish fourth. Jo had 163 steals between 2021 and 2025, more than any other player in that stretch.
Jo, a first-round selection at the 2015 draft, has spent his entire career with the Bears, and Tuesday's contract likely ensures he will finish his career with the team.