Heroes, Bears make changes with foreign players

Matt Davidson of the NC Dinos hits a three-run home run against the Kia Tigers during a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Aug. 10. Courtesy of NC Dinos

Two Korean baseball clubs made changes with their foreign players Monday, with a former league home run leader switching teams midseason.

The Kiwoom Heroes said they will pick up former Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) home run king Matt Davidson, who was released by another KBO team, NC Dinos, over the weekend.

To make room for Davidson, the Heroes released their American starting pitcher Nathan Wiles.

KBO teams are each allowed to carry three non-Asian foreign players, with a maximum two pitchers. Clubs typically sign two starting pitchers and one position player from overseas, but the Heroes have elected to go with two hitters and one pitcher, as Davidson joins Keston Hiura in the lineup while Raul Alcantara will be the lone non-Asian pitcher.

The Heroes previously bucked the trend at the start of last season, when they had outfielders Yasiel Puig and Ruben Cardenas, along with pitcher Kenny Rosenberg.

Davidson led the KBO with 46 home runs in 131 games in 2024, his first campaign in Korea. He followed that up with 36 home runs last year in 112 games.

Davidson had eight homers in 63 games this year but played his final game with the Dinos against the Heroes last Friday. The American slugger is scheduled to join the Heroes on Saturday.

Wiles went 0-4 with a 5.40 ERA in five starts in his first KBO season. He missed about two and a half months due to a shoulder injury, and he was roughed up for five runs on five hits in one inning of work in his return on Sunday.

The Heroes are in last place with a record of 27-51-1 (wins-losses-ties) and they are also at the bottom in the KBO in runs (265), home runs (45), batting average (.231) and slugging percentage (.328).

"With Alcantara and four other Korean pitchers, we feel we have a competitive starting rotation, but we are lacking firepower on offense," the Heroes explained. "We expect Davidson to provide a jolt to our lineup and he should be a good fit next to Hiura."

Daz Cameron of the Doosan Bears hits a single against the KT Wiz during the clubs' Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, May 28. Yonhap

Also on Monday, the Doosan Bears released their American starting pitcher Chris Flexen and American outfielder Daz Cameron.

Flexen, who previously pitched for the Bears in 2020, lasted just two outings in his second spell, going 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA. He has been sidelined since early April with a shoulder injury.

The Bears signed former KT Wiz left-hander Wes Benjamin as a short-term replacement for Flexen, and they are now expected to sign Benjamin to a full contract after his temporary deal expires Wednesday.

In 12 starts during Flexen's absence, Benjamin has gone 4-6 with a 2.90 ERA, the third-best mark among Bears starters.

Cameron has been sent home after 75 games in his first KBO season. He batted .287 with nine home runs, 43 RBIs and nine steals — solid numbers overall but not quite up to the Bears' expectations.

Bears manager Kim Won-hyong said the team had a surplus of young, homegrown outfielders that deserved more playing time and needed a new foreign bat who can handle the two corner infield positions instead.