Park Sei-hyok joins NC Dinos on four-year deal

The NC Dinos on Thursday signed free agent catcher Park Sei-hyok on a four-year deal worth 4.6 billion won ($3.4 million).

Park Sei-hyok poses in an NC Dinos jersey in a photo released by the club on Thursday. [NC DINOS]

The NC Dinos on Thursday signed free agent catcher Park Sei-hyok on a four-year deal worth 4.6 billion won ($3.4 million).

Park, who formerly played for the Doosan Bears, will earn 2.4 billion won in annual salary with a 1.8-billion-won signing bonus and 400 million won in incentives.

Park debuted with the Doosan Bears in 2012 and became an increasingly regular fixture in the squad from 2016 through 2018, when he appeared in about half the games each season.

In 2019, when long-term Doosan catcher Yang Eui-ji moved to the Dinos, Park stepped into the regular starting lineup and proved himself to be a good technical catcher and a consistent contact hitter.

Park has a career .259 batting average with 508 hits, 259 RBIs and 24 home runs. In the 2022 season he batted .248 with 87 hits, 41 RBIs and three home runs.

The move to the Dinos sees Park once again taking Yang’s place in a starting lineup. Yang signed a contract earlier this week to return to Jamsil in southern Seoul and rejoin the Doosan Bears.

Park is the final of four starting catchers to claim free agency this season. As well as Park and Yang, Yoo Kang-nam left the LG Twins for the Lotte Giants, and is replaced in Seoul by Park Dong-won, formerly of the Kia Tigers.

Combined, the four catchers signed deals worth a total 34.3 billion won.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]