KBO home run king Choi Jeong leads market as 20 players opt for free agency

Twenty of 30 eligible players have opted for free agency this year, the KBO announced Tuesday, with the KBO’s all-time home run leader Choi Jeong of the SSG Landers leading what looks set to be a fairly quiet FA market

SSG Landers slugger Choi Jeong hits a two-run home run during a game against the Kiwoom Heroes at Incheon SSG Landers Field in Incheon on Sept. 30. [NEWS1]

Twenty of 30 eligible players have opted for free agency this year, the KBO announced Tuesday, with the KBO’s all-time home run leader Choi Jeong of the SSG Landers leading what looks set to be a fairly quiet FA market.

The FA market officially opens Wednesday, with the 20 players free to sign contracts with any team in the KBO or overseas. Just three of this year’s free agents fall into the KBO’s “A” category for top potential candidates.

At 37, Choi falls into the lowest “C” category, but is expected to be re-signed by the Landers as soon as the market opens on Wednesday. A franchise star since 2005, Choi became the all-time KBO home run leader in April and has extended the record by nearly 30 long balls this season, finishing the campaign with a career 468.

The reigning champion Kia Tigers, KT Wiz and NC Dinos have the most free agents in the market, at three each.

Most notable on the Tigers list is reliever Jang Hyun-sik, who tossed five scoreless innings across the five Korean Series games, alongside pitcher Im Gi-yeong and infielder Seo Geon-chang.

Wiz pitchers Um Sang-back and Woo Kyu-min and infielder Sim Woo-jun all opted for free agency, with 39-year-old Woo entering the market for the third time.

Dinos pitcher Lee Yong-chan, who joined the club from the Doosan Bears ahead of the 2021 season, is the only “B” ranked player for the South Gyeongsang club, alongside pitcher Lim Jung-ho and outfielder Kim Seong-uk.

The Samsung Lions, Doosan Bears, SSG Landers and Lotte Giants each have two free agents, with veteran Doosan third baseman Heo Kyoung-min perhaps the most notable after Choi.

Heo Kyoung-min of the Doosan Bears reacts during a game against the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul on Aug. 6. [NEWS1]

Heo, a franchise star with the Bears, earns free agency for the second time after declining a three-year option on his existing four-year deal in the hope of earning more money on the open market.

Coming off the back of a .309 season, his best in five years, Heo is looking for a deal that beats the 2 billion won ($1.45 million) the Doosan option would have made him.

Heo is joined in the market by 27-year-old Doosan reliever Kim Kang-ryul, while Choi is joined by starter Noh Kyung-eun.

Up for the second-place Lions are Ryu Ji-hyuk and outfielder Kim Hun-gon, both of whom managed just over 100 appearances this season.

Down in Busan, the Giants have two of the three “A” ranked players; Closer Kim Won-jung and starter Koo Seung-min.

Kim has recorded 132 saves since becoming the Giants closer in 2020, the second-highest total in the league over that period, and Koo finishes the 2024 season with five wins and three losses and a 4.84 ERA.

Lotte Giants closer Kim Won-jung reacts during a game against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul on Sept. 1. [NEWS1]

The final “A” ranked player is Choi Won-tae of the LG Twins, who finished this season with nine wins and seven loses and a 4.26 ERA. Hanwha Eagles infielder Ha Ju-suk and Kiwoom Heroes pitcher Moon Sung-hyun complete the FA lineup.

The KBO’s A, B and C ranking system is determined based on the individual player’s salary over the last three seasons, and different compensation rules apply to each class.

Players ranked in the top three in salary on their team and top 30 in the league are in Class A. If a team signs a free agent from that class, the team must pay his previous club twice the amount of that player's previous salary and send a player not on its protected list, or pay the team three times the amount of the player's previous salary.

Players whose salary placed them between fourth and 10th on their clubs, and 31st and 60th in the league end up in Class B. The compensation rules for acquiring these free agents are as follows: the same amount of the player's previous salary and a compensatory player, or double the amount of that salary without a compensatory player.

Class C features players whose salary put them below 11th on their teams and 61st in the league. Players who become free agents for the first time at age 35 or older automatically end up in this group. Teams signing a Class C free agent only have to pay up to 1.5 times the amount of the player's previous salary, with no need to send any player the other way.

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