You said you're going to ML, but you're going to a surprise 10 billion won match...How did Hanwha become the winner of the recruitment contest for Kang Baekho

Nov 20, 2025

You said you're going to ML, but you're going to a surprise 10 billion won match...How did Hanwha become the winner of the recruitment contest for Kang Baekho
photo courtesy of Hanwha Eagles



The key to strengthening the lineup. The winner of the recruitment match for Kang Baek-ho (26) was Hanwha.

Hanwha announced on the 20th that it will recruit Kang Baek-ho. The contract is worth up to 10 billion won, including 5 billion won in down payment, 3 billion won in annual salary, and 2 billion won in options for four years.

Kang Baek-ho is a slugger who represents the KBO League. He joined KT Wiz in the second round (first place) in 2018 and showed an intense debut season with 29 home runs. He had a batting average of .336, 136 homers, 565 RBIs, and an OPS of .876 for eight seasons.




Hanwha's general manager Son Hyuk explained the recruitment process in a press release. After completing the second draft on the 19th, he met with Kang Baek-ho and expressed his intention to recruit him. On the afternoon of the 20th, the player visited the club's office to complete the final coordination and contract.

After this season, Kang Baek-ho also had a major league challenge in mind. The plan was to leave for Florida in the U.S. on the 20th and hold a showcase there.

Hanwha also knew the truth. "I knew it through the media, but since he was an essential player for our club, we met in the sense of trying to recruit him. The player was able to accept the club's conditions and succeed in recruiting", he explained.




You said you're going to ML, but you're going to a surprise 10 billion won match...How did Hanwha become the winner of the recruitment contest for Kang Baekho
photo courtesy of Hanwha Eagles
What Hanwha expects from Kang Baek-ho is certain. It contains the will to reinforce the hit that remained regrettable this year. "Kang Baek-ho recruited Roh Si-hwan, a left-handed slugger who has recently been rare in the league, and Chae Eun-sung, who has excellent RBI production ability, and Moon Hyun-bin, who has growing batting ability, because they thought they would be able to achieve a daunting batting lineup," Son said.

Daejeon Hanwha Life Ball Park has a 'Monster Wall' at a height of 8m on the left. It is an environment in which it is difficult for left-handed hitters to hit home runs due to pull. "Of Kang Baek-ho's 136 home guns, 56 are home runs to left and center. If you add a home run to the right-center field, it reaches 82. In addition, even if it is not necessarily a home run, it is more meaningful to bring in runners with strong batting, so it is more important that the batters become stronger.

Kang Baek-ho is available as an outfielder, first baseman, and catcher. As for the position, "First of all, it is difficult to decide and tell you now because the coach's idea is important. First of all, the club will organize records by position through Kang Baek-ho's data, and it will be decided according to the coach and coaching staff's plan during the spring camp."




Meanwhile, Kang Baek-ho said, `I am truly grateful to the Hanwha Eagles for recognizing my value so that I can play baseball in a good environment under good conditions.' `As I have come to the team that has performed well this season, I will also do my best to become a better team by supporting the good players in the team from next season.'

You said you're going to ML, but you're going to a surprise 10 billion won match...How did Hanwha become the winner of the recruitment contest for Kang Baekho
photo courtesy of Hanwha Eagles


This article was translated by Naver AI translator.