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Eagles' An Chi-hong goes to Kiwoom Heroes as first pick of KBO's secondary draft

Published: 19 Nov. 2025, 20:18

Hanwha Eagles infielder An Chi-hong is seen hitting a bat during a game against the Lotte Giants at Sajik Stadium in Busan on April 24. [YONHAP]

Hanwha Eagles infielder An Chi-hong, who joined the team on a blockbuster 7.2 billion won ($4.9 million) free agent contract two years ago, is moving to the Kiwoom Heroes.

An was selected by Kiwoom with the No. 1 pick in the first round of the KBO’s secondary draft, which was held behind closed doors at a hotel in Jamsil, southern Seoul, on Wednesday.

With the selection, An departs from Hanwha after two seasons and will now wear a Kiwoom uniform.

The secondary draft was created to give players who haven’t been getting opportunities with their current teams a chance to restart their careers. First introduced in 2011, the draft was held every two years before being scrapped in 2021 and later revived in 2023.

Notable past examples include infielder Shin Min-jae, who moved from the Doosan Bears to the LG Twins in the 2017 draft, and outfielder Kim Kang-min, who made a surprise move from the SSG Landers to Hanwha two years ago.

In the second draft, each team submits a list of 35 protected players. Teams then take turns selecting from the pool of remaining unprotected players. Transfer fees are 400 million won for the first round, 300 million won for the second round and 200 million won for the third.

Hanwha Eagles infielder An Chi-hong is greeted by his team at the dugout after hitting a home run during a game against the Lotte Giants at Sajik Stadium in Busan on June 17. [YONHAP]

An, a former Kia Tigers star, was the first player selected in this year’s draft. He joined the Lotte Giants in 2020 through a two-plus-two-year, 5.6 billion won free agent deal but failed to deliver the postseason success the team had hoped for. In November 2023, he signed a four-plus-two-year, 7.2 billion won deal with Hanwha.

However, An also struggled with the Eagles. While he posted a .300 batting average last year, he slumped to .172 over 66 games this season and was left off the team’s postseason roster.

Hanwha ultimately left An off its list of 35 protected players, and Kiwoom, with the first pick, immediately chose him.

“In this year’s secondary draft, our focus was on selecting players who could practically contribute to the team, regardless of position,” a Kiwoom official said. “An brings both precision and power to the plate and can be a core part of our lineup.”

Hanwha Eagles infielder An Chi-hong, second from right, high-fives his teammates after hitting a home run during a game against the Lotte Giants at Sajik Stadium in Busan on June 17. [YONHAP]

Veteran players were the main movers in this year’s draft. Hanwha right-hander Lee Tae-yang moved to the Kia Tigers, and NC Dinos right-handed reliever Lee Yong-chan returned to his former team, the Doosan Bears. Kia sidearmer Im Gi-yeong will now play for the Samsung Lions.

Kiwoom selected the most players, four in total, including An. Lotte added three players: LG Twins left-hander Kim Ju-wan, right-hander Kim Young-jun and Samsung right-hander Choi Chung-yeon.

NC, Hanwha and LG did not make any selections. All players selected in the first and second rounds must be registered with the first team by 2027.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KO BONG-JUN [[email protected]]