Kiwoom Heroes reunite with ex-MVP Seo Geon-chang

Seo Geon-chang of the Kiwoom Heroes poses in front of the team's logo at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul after signing with the Korea Baseball Organization club, Friday. Courtesy of Kiwoom Heroes

The Kiwoom Heroes announced Friday they have reacquired former MVP-winning infielder Seo Geon-chang.

The Heroes said they signed the 36-year-old Seo to a one-year contract worth 120 million won ($81,505), reuniting with a former franchise star who'd first played for them from 2012 to 2020.

Seo made his Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) debut with the LG Twins in 2008 but logged just one at-bat. He joined the Heroes in 2012 and shot to immediate stardom, winning both the Rookie of the Year award and the Golden Glove at second base as the best overall player at his position.

Then in 2014, Seo was voted the regular-season MVP after setting a KBO record with 201 hits while also leading the league with a .370 batting average and 135 runs scored.

Seo remained a premier contact hitter for a few seasons after that, but assorted injuries have slowed him over the past handful of seasons.

Seo played for the Twins from 2021 to 2023 and then his hometown club Kia Tigers in the southwestern city of Gwangju from 2024 to 2025. Last year, though, he appeared in just 10 games, the fewest total since his 2008 cameo with the Twins.

Seo was released by the Tigers in October, leading to speculation that his career might be over, but the Heroes extended him a lifeline. Seo is scheduled to join the Heroes' minor leaguers in their training camp on Jan. 25.

"I am really looking forward to standing in front of the fans who gave me so much love in the past," Seo said. "I am happy to have the chance to take the field at all. Now that I am going back to a place where I enjoyed so many great moments, I will try to be a responsible leader for younger players and help the team have a good season."

The Heroes said they valued Seo's experience and his intimate understanding of the team's culture and system.

"He always takes great care of himself, and if he can train hard this winter, we believe he can still be a competitive ball player," the team added.

After losing in the Korean Series in 2022, the Heroes have finished dead last among 10 KBO teams in each of the past three seasons. Over the years, they lost three key players to Major League Baseball, with outfielder Lee Jung-hoo joining the San Francisco Giants, infielder Kim Hye-seong signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers and infielder Song Sung-mun moving to the San Diego Padres.