Seoul: Former saves leader Lee Yong-chan and All-Star infielder An Chi-hong will don different uniforms next season following an extra draft held Wednesday. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) held the "secondary" draft, the South Korean equivalent of the Rule 5 draft in Major League Baseball (MLB), at an undisclosed location in Seoul on Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, in this draft, the 10 KBO teams were allowed to select players not placed on their clubs' 35-man protected list after the end of the season. It's mostly designed to prevent teams from hoarding young players in the minors when those prospects could be playing in the KBO for other clubs. Typically, however, veterans considered to be in decline receive a second chance in this draft.
Lee, who had been with the NC Dinos since 2021, was selected by his former team Doosan Bears in the second round of this draft. The 36-year-old previously pitched for the Bears from 2008 to 2020, and led the KBO with 26 saves in 2009. The right-hander turned himself into a starter later on, finishing second in the league with 15 wins and fourth with a 3.63 ERA in 2018. He was the Dinos' closer from 2021 to 2024, but injuries limited him to only 12 outings this year. Lee will now get a second chance with the team that drafted him out of high school in 2006.
An, a 35-year-old infielder, was chosen by the Kiwoom Heroes with the first overall pick Wednesday after two seasons with the Hanwha Eagles. An was a prized free agent acquisition by the Eagles before the 2024 season, as they gave him a four-year contract with an option for two additional years. An had a solid 2024 campaign with a .300 batting average, 13 home runs and 66 RBIs, but only appeared in 66 games this year while batting .172. He played sparingly in the second half of the regular season and did not make the Eagles' postseason roster.
The Heroes made three other selections in Wednesday's draft: ex-Bears outfielder Choo Jae-hyun, ex-Eagles pitcher Bae Dong-hyun, and former Lotte Giants pitcher Park Jin-hyung. Another former Eagles pitcher, Lee Tae-yang, was picked by the Kia Tigers on Wednesday. The 35-year-old righty has spent 10 of his 13 KBO seasons with the Eagles across two stints, but has fallen out of favor over the past two years, combining for only 24 appearances. The Dinos, the Eagles, and the LG Twins did not choose any player in this draft.
The KBO first ran this draft from 2011 to 2019, and revived it in 2023. Teams making selections must pay the players' former team a transfer fee: 400 million won (US$272,910) for a first-round pick, 300 million won for a second-round pick, and 200 million won for a third-round selection. The fee is 100 million won for any player picked beyond that round. Players chosen in this draft must remain on the active roster either in 2026 or in 2027: a minimum of 50 days for first-round picks and 30 days for second-round picks.