Seoul: The Kiwoom Heroes announced their signing of Dominican pitcher Cristopher Crisostomo Mercedes on Wednesday. Also known as C.C. Mercedes, the 31-year-old left-hander will earn US$280,000 for the remainder of this Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Mercedes initially signed with the Tampa Bay Rays as an international amateur in 2012 but did not make it to the major leagues. In 2017, he joined Japan’s Yomiuri Giants in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league and remained with them until 2022. Mercedes then played for the Chiba Lotte Marines, another NPB team, in 2023 before moving to the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions in Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) this season.

Mercedes compiled a 37-44 record with a 3.10 ERA in 126 appearances in the NBP. In the CPBL, the left-hander achieved a 6-3 record with a 2.57 ERA in 14 starts. The Heroes highlighted Mercedes’ extensive experience in Asian baseball, noting it should facilitate his transition to the KBO.

Mercedes is anticipated to join the Heroes in early August. As of Tuesday, the Heroes are positioned last in the 10-team KBO with a win-loss-tie record of 28-68-3.

In a related move, the Heroes released American left-hander Kenny Rosenberg, who made only 13 starts in his first KBO season before a hip injury sidelined him in June. The team subsequently signed Australian pitcher Lachlan Wells as a temporary replacement. Wells had a 1-1 record with a 3.15 ERA in four starts, but with Rosenberg unable to return this season, the Heroes offered Wells a full contract, which he declined, choosing instead to return to Australia last week.

So far this season, six foreign players have appeared in a game for the Heroes, comprising three position players and three pitchers. Once Mercedes takes the mound, the Heroes will match the KBO record for the most foreign players used in a single season since the league opened its doors to non-Korean natives in 1998.