Kia Tigers designated hitter Choi Hyoung-woo, right, shakes hands with his general manager Shim Jae-hak after signing a two-year extension with the Korea Baseball Organization club, in this photo provided by the Tigers on Jan. 5. Yonhap
The Kia Tigers announced Friday they have signed veteran designated hitter Choi Hyoung-woo to a new two-year deal.
Choi, 40, is the oldest non-free agent player to sign a multiyear contract in Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) history.
The Tigers said Choi's contract has a guaranteed first year with a vesting option for a second season, meaning that it will become guaranteed if Choi meets a performance incentive threshold. In all, Choi can make up to 2.2 billion won ($1.7 million).
In June last year, Choi became the career RBI leader in the KBO by collecting his 1,499th and 1,500th RBI with a two-run homer against the Hanwha Eagles, breaking a tie with retired slugger Lee Seung-yuop. Choi finished the 2023 season with 81 RBIs, the second most on the Tigers, and has 1,542 RBIs for his career.
On the all-time list, Choi Jeong of the SSG Landers is the closest active player to Choi with 1,454 RBIs.
Choi made his KBO debut with the Samsung Lions in 2002 but didn't become a regular until 2008, when he won the Rookie of the Year award.
He signed with the Tigers as a free agent after the 2016 season. After his initial four-year deal ran out, Choi returned to the Tigers on a new three-year contract, covering 2021-2023 seasons.
The latest deal essentially ensures Choi will retire a Tiger.
"I want to thank the club for giving me such a good contract. I will do the best I can with my teammates to take this team to the postseason," Choi said, with the Tigers having played in the postseason just once in the past five years. "Until the day my career ends, I will always remember where I came from, and I want Tigers fans to remember me as a consistent force."
The Tigers said they wanted to reward Choi for his strong performance on the field and for his exemplary leadership in the clubhouse. (Yonhap)