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Tigers re-sign free agent pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong

Published: 04 Dec. 2025, 16:31

Kia Tigers pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong, left, shakes hands with the club's general manager, Shim Jae-hak, after signing a new deal with the Tigers on Dec. 4. [YONHAP]

The Kia Tigers said Thursday they have re-signed their own free agent pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong.

Yang, 37, agreed to a two-year contract, with an option for a third season, worth up to 4.5 billion won ($3.1 million), including incentives.

Yang has spent his entire KBO career with the Tigers starting in 2007, after the Tigers picked him first overall at the previous year's draft. The latest deal likely ensures the left-handed pitcher will finish his career with the same club in his hometown of Gwangju.

Yang is the KBO's career strikeout leader with 2,185. He also ranks first among all KBO pitchers with 442 starts and 184 wins in starts, and ranks second with 2,656 2/3 innings.

He is also the only pitcher in KBO history to toss at least 1,500 innings in 11 straight seasons. He has won three Korean Series titles with the Tigers in 2009, 2017 and 2024.

In 2025, Yang went 7-9 with a 5.06 ERA in 30 starts, for his lowest win total and highest ERA in a dozen years as the Tigers missed the postseason in their title defense.

Yang, the 2017 regular-season and Korean Series MVP, sits second on the all-time list with 186 wins overall, 24 behind former Hanwha Eagles star Song Jin-woo. Song is also the all-time leader with 3,003 innings pitched, a record that Yang will try to chase down over the duration of his new contract.

"I've won championships and set many records in a Tigers uniform but my job is not finished," Yang said. "Until the moment I take off this uniform, I'd like to be a consistent performer for our Tigers fans. As a veteran player, I will share my experience and know-how with younger teammates, and help bring the team together so that we can win another title."

The Tigers have lost some key players in free agency this offseason, including designated hitter Choi Hyoung-woo, the league's all-time RBI leader, and All-Star shortstop Park Chan-ho, but successfully retained the longtime face of the franchise in Yang.

Yonhap