Ex-KBO MVP Kim Jae-hwan becomes free agent after unconditional release by Bears

The Doosan Bears announced Wednesday they have granted veteran slugger Kim Jae-hwan an unconditional release, making the 2018 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) regular-season MVP a free agent. The Bears and the 37-year-old Kim couldn't come to an agreement on a new deal after Kim's four-year contract expired at the end of the 2025 season. Instead of exercising his rights as a free agent this offseason, Kim chose to first negotiate a new contract with the Bears. It was belatedly revealed Wednesday that Kim's previous deal had included a clause allowing an unconditional release if the two sides couldn't settle on a new pact. Teams that sign players who declare free agency at the onset of the offseason must offer compensation for those players' former teams, either with a combination of cash and a player or with cash alone. However, because Kim has been unconditionally released after initial talks with the Bears broke down, he has hit the open market with no strings attached -- theoretically making it easier for the aging veteran to find a new team. Kim made his KBO debut with the Bears inWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times