“They treated me so well that I didn’t have to worry about free agency.”
With a five-year contract totaling 10.7 billion won, Ko Young-pyo will wear the KT Wiz uniform until 2028. “I’m actually nervous, but my family is very happy,” he said after signing the contract of a lifetime.
On the 25th, Ko signed a five-year, non-free agent contract with KT for a total of 10.7 billion won (9.5 billion won guaranteed and 1.2 billion won incentive). It is the first multi-year contract since KT’s founding and the first contract worth more than 10 billion won, including a free agent contract. KT recognized the value of the ace, and he signed the contract without hesitation.
Ko is a “founding member” who joined KT after graduating from Dongguk University and being selected in the second round of the 2014 rookie draft. His performance in the last three seasons has been tremendous. From 2021 to 2023, he won double-digit starts for three consecutive years, 안전놀이터 and during that time, he ranked first in each category with 63 quality starts and a Wins Above Replacement (WAR) of 15.87, making him one of the best pitchers in the KBO.
He is also a franchise star who holds franchise records for most games started (127), most wins (55), most innings pitched (920⅔), and most complete games (4).
In fact, if you were in his shoes, you’d have to wonder.
One more season and he’d be a free agent for the first time in his career. Given his stats and momentum over the last three years, the chances of an “early bird” were very high. With almost no clear-cut starters in the free agent market, if he were to hit the market, he could have gotten a contract worth well over 10 billion won for four years instead of five. As a player, it would have been tempting to get a market evaluation.
However, there is no 100% probability in the world. There is no guarantee that he will perform better this season, and the recent salary cap system does not allow clubs to spend a lot of money. In the meantime, KT’s offer was enough to sway him.
“Actually, it’s not easy for a player to become a free agent. You have to show your skills without injury for 7-8 years to become a free agent. However, KT gave me a good offer so that I didn’t have to worry about my free agency status. I didn’t know what variables there would be, but they took care of them. I couldn’t think of going to another team.”
“They treated me so well, I couldn’t think of anything else but to stay in Suwon and play baseball. However, I want to do my best and sign a new contract after five years. 파워볼게임 If I do well until then, I think KT will treat me well again, so I will try to win the Golden Glove for five years. Money is important, but I want to be recognized as a player,” he laughed.