The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced on the 15th the list of qualified players for the 2024 FA.
There will be a total of 34 FA qualifiers in 2024, with 8 in A grade, 14 in B grade and 12 in C grade.
Among them, 12 players were eligible for FA for the first time, eight were re-qualified, and 14 players have already qualified for FA, but have maintained their qualifications without applying for FA approval.
By club, SSG has the largest number of six, LG and Samsung have five, Lotte has four, KT, Doosan, KIA and Kiwoom have three, and NC and Hanwha have one each.
However, among them, Oh Ji-hwan (LG), Moon Seung-won, Park Jong-hoon, Choi Jeong, Han Yu-seom (SSG), Kim Tae-gun (KIA), Park Se-woong (Lotte), and Koo Ja-wook (Samsung) have already signed a “non-FA long-term contract” before acquiring FA qualifications, and Jang Won-joon (Doosan) announced his retirement from active duty.
Among the FA players that will actually be on the market, Yang Seok-hwan (Doosan), An Chi-hong, Jeon Joon-woo (Lotte), Kim Jae-yoon (KT), Lim Chan-kyu, and Ham Deok-joo (LG) are selected as “big fish class.”
Attention is also focusing on whether Oh Seung-hwan (Samsung), who will turn 42 next year, will apply for FA. Oh Seung-hwan also served as Samsung’s closer this season, recording four wins, five losses and 30 saves with a 3.45 ERA. At the end of the season, he achieved a career-high 400 saves in the KBO League.
FA qualified players must apply for approval of the exercise of FA rights to KBO by the 17th, within two days of the announcement, and KBO will announce players who exercised FA rights as FA approved players on the 18th, the day after the application deadline.
FA approved players can negotiate with all teams, including overseas clubs, from the 19th, the day after the announcement.