Recruitment of Kang Baekho → Peraza is here! Hanwha's color has become very distinct...2026 is an attack

Nov 30, 2025

Recruitment of Kang Baekho → Peraza is here! Hanwha's color has become very distinct...2026 is an attack
The game between the Lotte Giants and the Hanwha Eagles at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 27th. Hanwha Peraza is preparing for training. Busan = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.08.27/



"Next year, we're going to be a little more active in attack."

Ahead of this season, the Hanwha Eagles focused a lot on 'Enhanced Defensive'. The direction of recruiting the FA market also made efforts to strengthen the center line.

Ahead of last season, Hanwha signed a four-year contract with Shim Woo-joon for a total of 5 billion won. Shortstop Shim Woo-joon did not have a high batting average, but he had a fast foot and sense enough to even 'the steal king', and the defense based on this was evaluated as the best in the league.




The effect of Shim Woo-joon was certain. This season, Hanwha became the team with the fewest errors (86). In addition, the pitching staff stabilized with defensive help, and the team's ERA was 3.55, ranking first in the league.

However, the offense was disappointing. As the offense was rarely resolved at the beginning of the season, he remained 3 wins and 7 losses in the opening 10 games. At that time, the team's batting average was only 180. Since then, he has rebounded based on his solid pitching power and has risen to second place in the regular season, but the ups and downs of the lineup will remain a concern next season.

Recruitment of Kang Baekho → Peraza is here! Hanwha's color has become very distinct...2026 is an attack
강백호. Photo courtesy = Hanwha Eagles
This season, Hanwha opened its wallet once again. The direction was clear. The focus was on strengthening attack power. Kang Baek-ho, who was in the FA market, signed a four-year total of 10 billion won. Kang Baek-ho slowed down with a batting average of 265 and 15 home runs this season, but he boasted his strength by hitting 29 home runs in 2018, which was the rookie season. He hit .347 in 2021 and drew 26 arches in 2024.




He was also the player with the highest future value among the players on the FA market this year.

Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon said at the time of recruiting Kang Baek-ho "If I tried to win by strengthening my defense this year, I want to show a little more active attack next year and show hot baseball to fans." he said.

Recruitment of Kang Baekho → Peraza is here! Hanwha's color has become very distinct...2026 is an attack
요나단 페라자. Photo courtesy = Hanwha Eagles
Hanwha's direction was also shown in recruiting foreign players. On the 29th, he signed with Jonathan Peraza. The contract is worth a total of $1 million, including a down payment of $200,000, an annual salary of $700,000, and an option of $100,000.




Peraza played for Hanwha in 2024 and played in 122 games with a batting average of 275, 24 home runs and 70 RBIs. With the switch heater, he has the ability to make strong hits in both left and right at-bats.

The contract was canceled due to some disappointment in defense, but it is evaluated that he has grown further while playing in the minor leagues for a year. This year, he played 138 games in Triple-A under the San Diego Padres and won the San Diego Minor League MVP with a batting average of 37 percent and 19 home runs.

Analysts say that his defense has also improved compared to the previous one. An official from Hanwha said "Scouts have continuously observed it, but their defense has improved a lot. "I checked all 450 defensive videos, but I only made three errors. "When I asked San Diego for an evaluation, I heard that both offense and defense have been upgraded to the next level. "

Recruitment of Kang Baekho → Peraza is here! Hanwha's color has become very distinct...2026 is an attack
Game 2 of the Korean Series between Hanwha and LG at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 27th. In the top of the first inning, Moon Hyun-bin hit a two-run home run with one out and runners on first base and is sharing joy with Noh Si-hwan. Noh Si-hwan hit a solo shot following Moon Hyun-bin and recorded a back-to-back home run. Jamsil= Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.10.27/
The recruitment of Peraza clearly included the purpose of strengthening the offensive power. With the recruitment of Peraza, Hanwha will be able to build a 'nuclear strike line' that leads to Moon Hyun-bin, Peraza, Noh Si-hwan, Kang Baek-ho, and Chae Eun-sung. In particular, except for Chae Eun-sung, all of them are in their 20s, and 'Young Dynamite' can be made.

"I felt the passion, energy, and constant support of the fans with the Hanwha Eagles in the 2024 season, but it is a great honor to wear the Hanwha Eagles' uniform again," Ferraza said. "I did my best to become stronger and more prepared in the last period." I will do my best to help the Hanwha Eagles fly higher in every game.

Recruitment of Kang Baekho → Peraza is here! Hanwha's color has become very distinct...2026 is an attack
Photo provided by Wilkel Hernandez = Hanwha Eagles
Meanwhile, Hanwha has also completed recruiting foreign pitchers as the separation of Cody Ponce and Ryan Weiss approaches. He signed a new contract with right-hander Wilkel Hernandez, who was born in 1999, for a total of $900,000, including a down payment of $100,000, an annual salary of $650,000 and an option of $150,000. Hernandez is a fastball pitcher with a sinker movement of up to 156 kilometers and an average of more than 150 kilometers, and is evaluated to have a complete slider and change-up in addition to the fastball with his compliance pitching sense.

Hernandez said, `I'm very happy to be a part of the Hanwha Eagles who finished second last season' and `I'll do my best to contribute to the team's victory next season.'



This article was translated by Naver AI translator.