SEOUL - The Kiwoom Heroes, a prominent team in South Korea's professional baseball league, announced on Friday the re-signing of Panamanian pitcher Ariel Jurado for his second season with the team.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Jurado has agreed to a one-year contract, valued at up to US$1.3 million. This includes a salary of $1.2 million along with the potential for an additional $100,000 in incentives. The right-handed pitcher earned $850,000 in the 2023 season. During his time with the Heroes, Jurado achieved a record of 11-8 and an ERA of 2.65 over 183 2/3 innings in 30 starts, positioning him as a durable and consistent starter among the nine qualified pitchers who made at least 30 starts in 2023. With Jurado's signing, the Heroes have now finalized their foreign player roster for the 2024 season, which also includes outfielder Ronnie Dawson and newly signed left-handed pitcher Enmanuel De Jesus. Teams in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) are limited to a maximum of three foreign players, with no more than two pitchers, a standard practice since the league began accepting non-Korean players in 1998.