Track Sung-mun of the Kiwoom Heroes hits an RBI double in opposition to the LG Twins throughout a Korea Baseball Group regular-season recreation at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Sept. 9. Yonhap
They haven’t received a championship since becoming a member of the Korea Baseball Group (KBO) in 2008, however the Kiwoom Heroes have carried out one factor higher than another staff over the previous 17 years — sending gamers to Main League Baseball (MLB).
Their captain and All-Star third baseman Track Sung-mun turned the sixth Heroes participant to signal with a giant league membership Tuesday morning in South Korea, with the San Diego Padres saying their four-year contract with him.
“We might like to supply our warmest congratulations to Track Sung-mun for signing his main league contract,” the Heroes mentioned. “We’re proud to have the sixth member of the Heroes be part of the majors. We hope he’ll proceed to play nicely on a good larger stage, and we can be rooting for him as he embarks on a brand new problem.”
There have been 10 KBO gamers who signed with an MLB staff via the posting course of, and all six place gamers from that group have come from the Heroes. The 4 pitchers all got here from totally different KBO golf equipment.
Former shortstop Kang Jung-ho turned the primary to take action, as he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates forward of the 2015 season. He was adopted by: Park Byung-ho (Minnesota Twins), Kim Ha-seong (San Diego Padres), Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco Giants) and Kim Hye-seong (Los Angeles Dodgers).
The final three gamers on the checklist are nonetheless energetic in MLB, with Kim Ha-seong having lately signed with the Atlanta Braves in free company, and Lee and Kim Hye-seong nonetheless below contract with their present golf equipment.
Track has performed with all three of them within the KBO. And he’s going to be the third ex-Hero within the Nationwide League West, alongside Lee and Kim Hye-seong.
The Padres will face the Giants and the Dodgers 13 instances every in 2026, and can play the Braves seven instances.
Along with having the bragging rights because the KBO’s high producer of MLB-level expertise, the Heroes additionally get pleasure from monetary advantages by sending their gamers throughout the Pacific.
KBO golf equipment obtain a “launch charge” in the event that they lose a participant to MLB via posting, with the precise quantity relying on the assured portion of the participant’s contract.
If the participant’s MLB contract has a complete assured portion of lower than US$25 million, then the discharge charge is 20 p.c of the entire assured quantity.
In Track’s case, with the deal reportedly price $15 million, the Padres should pay the Heroes $3 million, and also will owe a supplemental launch charge of 15 p.c of wage escalators triggered.
In response to the Related Press, if Track wins the 2026 Rookie of the Yr award, his wage for 2027 will rise by $1 million. If he finishes among the many high 5 in MVP voting, his wage in all remaining years of his deal will go up by $1 million per 12 months.
The discharge charge is 20 p.c of the primary $25 million and 17.5 p.c of the quantity exceeding the following $25 million.
As an illustration, if a participant indicators for over $50 million, then his former KBO staff will obtain 20 p.c of the primary $25 million ($5 million) and 17.5 p.c of the following $25 million ($4,375,000), plus 15 p.c of the quantity exceeding $50 million.
The Heroes have taken over $40 million in launch charges to date.
