With Song joining Padres, KBO club Heroes 'proud' to send 6th player to MLB

Song Sung-mun of the Kiwoom Heroes hits an RBI double against the LG Twins during a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Sept. 9. Yonhap

They have not won a championship since joining the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) in 2008, but the Kiwoom Heroes have done one thing better than any other team over the past 17 years — sending players to Major League Baseball (MLB).

Their captain and All-Star third baseman Song Sung-mun became the sixth Heroes player to sign with a big league club Tuesday morning in South Korea, with the San Diego Padres announcing their four-year contract with him.

"We'd like to offer our warmest congratulations to Song Sung-mun for signing his major league contract," the Heroes said. "We are proud to have the sixth member of the Heroes join the majors. We hope he will continue to play well on an even bigger stage, and we will be rooting for him as he embarks on a new challenge."

There have been 10 KBO players who signed with an MLB team through the posting process, and all six position players from that group have come from the Heroes. The four pitchers all came from different KBO clubs.

Former shortstop Kang Jung-ho became the first to do so, as he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates ahead of the 2015 season. He was followed by: Park Byung-ho (Minnesota Twins), Kim Ha-seong (San Diego Padres), Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco Giants) and Kim Hye-seong (Los Angeles Dodgers).

The last three players on the list are still active in MLB, with Kim Ha-seong having recently signed with the Atlanta Braves in free agency, and Lee and Kim Hye-seong still under contract with their current clubs.

Song has played with all three of them in the KBO. And he is going to be the third ex-Hero in the National League West, alongside Lee and Kim Hye-seong.

The Padres will face the Giants and the Dodgers 13 times each in 2026, and will play the Braves seven times.

In addition to having the bragging rights as the KBO's top producer of MLB-level talent, the Heroes also enjoy financial benefits by sending their players across the Pacific.

KBO clubs receive a "release fee" if they lose a player to MLB through posting, with the exact amount depending on the guaranteed portion of the player's contract.

If the player's MLB contract has a total guaranteed portion of less than US$25 million, then the release fee is 20 percent of the total guaranteed amount.

In Song's case, with the deal reportedly worth $15 million, the Padres must pay the Heroes $3 million, and will also owe a supplemental release fee of 15 percent of salary escalators triggered.

According to the Associated Press, if Song wins the 2026 Rookie of the Year award, his salary for 2027 will rise by $1 million. If he finishes among the top five in MVP voting, his salary in all remaining years of his deal will go up by $1 million per year.

The release fee is 20 percent of the first $25 million and 17.5 percent of the amount exceeding the next $25 million.

For instance, if a player signs for over $50 million, then his former KBO team will receive 20 percent of the first $25 million ($5 million) and 17.5 percent of the next $25 million ($4,375,000), plus 15 percent of the amount exceeding $50 million.

The Heroes have taken over $40 million in release fees so far.