NC Dinos sign Matt Davidson on one-year, $1 million deal

Davidson, 32, will earn an annual salary of $560,000 with a signing bonus of $140,000 and can earn up to $300,000 in incentives. He comes to the KBO from one season in Japan's NPB, where he batted an average .210.

Matt Davidson. [SCREENCAPTURE]

The NC Dinos have signed ex-MLB slugger Matt Davidson on a one-year deal worth up to $1 million, the Changwon club announced Thursday.

Davidson, 32, will earn an annual salary of $560,000 with a signing bonus of $140,000 and can earn up to $300,000 in incentives, the team said.

The right-hander comes to the KBO from one season in Japan's NPB, where he played for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp and batted an average .210 with 19 home runs and 44 RBIs over a total 112 games.

Before moving to Asia, Davidson spent time moving between the Majors and the Minors, playing very briefly as a two-way, last pitching in 2020 for the Cincinnati Reds, where he picked up a 5.40 ERA.

"Davidson has a lot of experience in MLB and NPB, and he has excellent slugging production capability. He has been persistent in his game against pitchers as he pitches more than 4.2 times per at bat in MLB. I expect him to be the center of the team in the batting lineup,” Dinos manager Lim Seon-nam said in the announcement.

"It's an honor to join the NC Dinos. I can't wait to meet the passionate fans of the NC Dinos. I will use all my energy to win for the team on the ground. I want to finish the season with a smile with a play that will help the team,” Davidson said.

He is set to join the team in Arizona for training, the club said.

The Dinos have filled their foreign player maximum for the 2024 season. The Changwon team earlier signed pitchers Daniel Castano and Kyle Hart.

The Kia Tigers are the only remaining team that with an empty foreign player spot.

BY MARY YANG [mary.yang@joongang.co.kr]