Suwon: The KT Wiz announced their signing of former major league outfielder Andrew Stevenson on Saturday. In a corresponding move, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club released outfielder Mel Rojas Jr., who had played parts of six seasons with the Wiz in two stints.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Wiz stated that Stevenson, 31, will make US$200,000 for the rest of the season. Stevenson was originally a second-round pick by the Washington Nationals in the 2015 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft and made his MLB debut with them two years later. He stayed with the Nationals until 2021 before spending a full 2022 season in the minors. Stevenson joined the Minnesota Twins as a free agent in 2023.
Stevenson has experience playing internationally, having played for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball last year. He later returned to the United States to join the Durham Bulls, the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. In his MLB career, Stevenson appeared in 273 games, recording a .243 batting average with eight home runs, 50 RBIs, and 55 runs scored. His performance in Triple-A includes 53 homers and 252 RBIs with a .290 batting average over seven seasons. However, his stint in Japan saw him batting just .161 in 24 games.
KT Wiz general manager Na Do-hyun expressed optimism about Stevenson's capabilities, describing him as a gap hitter who can cover all outfield positions. "We expect him to help the club with his bat, his defense and his baserunning," Na remarked.
Na also acknowledged the contributions of Mel Rojas Jr., who is leaving the team amidst a challenging season. Rojas, 35, had a batting average of .239 with 14 home runs and 43 RBIs in 95 games this year. Despite this, he had a strong performance in 2024, hitting .329 with 32 homers and 112 RBIs. Rojas initially joined the Wiz in 2017 and earned the regular-season MVP award in 2020, smashing 47 homers and driving in 135 runs with a .349 average. He also played in Japan, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic before returning to the Wiz for the 2024 season. Rojas holds the record for the most home runs by a foreign player in KBO history, with 178.