KBO's Bears bring back veteran shortstop on 3-year deal

▲ Kim Jae-ho of the Doosan Bears (R) poses with the club president, Chun Poong, after signing a new three-year deal to stay with the team, in this photo provided by the Bears on Jan. 8, 2021. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ In this file photo from Nov. 24, 2020, Kim Jae-ho of the Doosan Bears (R) celebrates his RBI single against the NC Dinos in the top of the seventh inning of Game 6 of the Korean Series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. (Yonhap)

baseball-player

KBO's Bears bring back veteran shortstop on 3-year deal

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Jan. 8 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean baseball club Doosan Bears announced Friday they will bring back veteran shortstop Kim Jae-ho on a new three-year deal.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club said Kim has agreed to a three-year deal worth 2.5 billion won (US$2.3 million). He'll make 1.6 billion won in salary and 900 million won in signing bonus.

Kim, 35, became a free agent, for the second time, this winter. After debuting with the Bears in 2008, Kim first entered the open market in 2016 and re-signed with the same club for four years at 5 billion won.

The latest deal will likely ensure Kim finishes his career with the Bears.

Kim is a steady defender with solid on-base skills and he captained the Bears to a Korean Series title in 2016. He also served as the national team captain at the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

In the 2020 Korean Series, Kim was the Bears' lone bright spot, batting .421 (8-for19) with a home run and seven RBIs in their six-game loss to the NC Dinos.

The entire starting infield for the Bears became free agents afterward. The Bears retained Kim and third baseman Heo Kyoung-min, but have let second baseman Choi Joo-hwan (SK Wyverns) and first baseman Oh Jae-il (Samsung Lions) walk.

(END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved