SEOUL– The Doosan Bears acquired veteran first baseman/outfielder Kang Jin-sung from the NC Dinos on Wednesday, plucking off the 28-year-old as compensation for losing a free agent to the rival team.
The Dinos had signed a former Bears outfielder Park Kun-woo as a free agent on Dec. 14. Because Park was in Class A among free agents — players ranked top three in salary on their team and top 30 in the Korea Baseball Organization — the Dinos had to pay hefty compensation.
The Dinos either had to pay the Bears three times the amount of Park’s 2021 salary, or sent the Bears double the amount of Park’s salary and a player not on their 20-man protected list.
The Bears selected Kang as the compensatory player and will also receive 960 million won (US$805,430) in cash.
Kang had mostly toiled in the minors since getting drafted by the Dinos in 2011, and finally had a breakthrough season in 2020, when he batted .309 with 12 home runs and 70 RBIs in 121 games.
He came back down to Earth a bit in 2021, batting only .249 with seven homers and 38 RBIs in 124 games.
The Bears said Kang can play first base and both corner outfield positions, and can also offer some pop at the plate.
The Bears have lost a handful of free agents in recent years but have received decent production from their compensatory picks.
Source: Yonhap News Agency