Foreigner's annual salary is 100 million? Everyone ignored it, but it's a 'bok ball'… KBO clubs are embarrassed
In the KBO league environment, it is very rare to re-recruit foreign players who have failed once in a team. Within the team, I think the judgment is over to some extent. On the one hand, you have to endure critical public opinion. So Kiwoom's move in 2023 was somewhat surprising.
Edison Russell was hired as a new foreign hitter at Kiwoom in 2020. Although he is clearly on the decline, his name gives him extraordinary weight. He boasted of his illustrious career as a Major League All-Star (2016). He was an active Major Leaguer who played in the Major League up until 2019. Some critics say that it would have been difficult to recruit him had he not changed the U.S. workforce due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Russell only posted a batting average of 0.254 in 65 games in 2020, falling short of expectations.
Kiwoom recruited Russell again ahead of the 2023 season. The expectation was that he would become fitter than he was then and perform better in batting. However, his explosive power did not meet expectations either. Considering the position, it was not the kind of attack productivity that foreign hitters expect. Worse yet, it also had a wrist injury. Then, Kiwoom makes another surprising choice for the league. The league was stirred up by Ronnie Dawson (29), a foreign hitter. It was not because of his name, but maybe because of his money.
At that time, Dawson's total contract was only 85,000 dollars. At that time, it was a little over 100 million won at the exchange rate. In terms of full-time terms, it was not as big as a KBO league star player's annual salary. It was a contract worth less than 100,000 dollars, which was rare even 10 years ago. The scale of such a contract bothered Dawson from the beginning. There was a disregard and preconceived notion that the skills would be difficult to expect as a player is not expensive.
His career was not negligible. Very few had experience in Major League Baseball. However, he only received relatively little attention as he played in independent league in 2023, not in Major League or Minor League. And his performance was not in order of annual salary. As soon as the lid was opened, Dawson showed off his strong performance and calmed down all the sarcastic eyes. Rather, he became a foreign player who envied other team fans.
Dawson recorded a batting average of 0.336, three homers, 29 RBIs, nine steals, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.852 in 57 games during the season, which was considered a relief to Kiwoom that had a gloomy end to the season. Dawson showed that he is a tool guy with few homers but strong points. He had 77 hits in 57 games, displayed his ability to hit long balls with a double or more at any time, and left a good record in terms of his pioneering skills that he feared. On top of that, his attitude that combined both excitement and seriousness also garnered favorable reviews from fans.
Dawson will be with Kiwoom in the 2024 season as well. He signed a total of 600,000 dollars (annual salary of 550,000 dollars, incentive of 50,000 dollars). Despite his good performance last year, he was able to sign a contract at a low price as the basic salary itself was low. He also proved that Kiwoom's scouting characteristics represented by Jerry Sands and Kiwoom's pioneering spirit, which looks more important than career, are still strong.
Along with Dawson, Ariel Furado (28), who played as a foreign ace this year, also scored a goal to renew his contract. Furado is considered one of the most underrated pitchers in the league this year. He pitched 183 ⅔s in 30 games this season, posting good performance with 11 wins, eight losses and a 2.65 ERA. More than anything else, he displayed his consistency. This year, Furado played more than five innings in all 30 starts. He was the most calculated pitcher in the league. Pre-season previews of "Furado is the dark horse" by experts were relatively accurate. 헤라카지노
Even after this, his annual salary itself is not high considering his contribution. This year, he signed a total of 1.3 million dollars (annual salary of 1.2 million dollars, incentive of 100,000 dollars). The total amount is smaller than that of other foreign pitchers with similar performances. This is another point that gives a glimpse into Kiwoom's foreigners. New foreign pitcher Enmanuel de Jesus, a left-handed fireballer, also earns relatively small annual salary (total of 800,000 dollars), but Kiwoom has enough expectations that there will be something else.