SEOUL– The Doosan Bears announced Tuesday they have re-signed Cuban designated hitter Jose Miguel Fernandez for his fourth season in South Korea, confirming the biggest open secret in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) this offseason.
The Bears said Fernandez agreed to a new one-year deal worth US$1.1 million in total: $600,000 in salary, $300,000 in incentives and $200,000 in signing bonus.
It was a no brainer for the Bears to bring back Fernandez, one of the KBO’s premier contact hitters since his debut here in 2019. The two sides had long agreed to a deal but the team had to wait until Fernandez renewed his passport and received a new work permit before making it official.
The Bears said Fernandez will arrive in South Korea on Wednesday and spend seven days in quarantine before reporting to the club in spring training. The Bears opened camp on Feb. 3.
Since his first KBO season in 2019, Fernandez has had the most hits in the KBO with 566 and the most total bases with 806, despite not being a prototypical home run hitter. He was the regular season hits king in 2019 and 2020. The durable 33-year-old has only missed three games over the past three years, while batting .333/.402/.475. He has drawn 184 walks while striking out 131 times.
Fernandez was the last foreign player to sign in the KBO prior to the 2022 season.
Source: Yonhap News Agency