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Among this week’s KBO additions is a former World Series champion.
Originally published by Anthony Franco on MLB Trade Rumors and last updated on November 26, 2024
This week, three former major league players inked new contracts with Korea Baseball Organization teams.

According to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net, outfielder Guillermo Heredia re-signed a $1.6 million contract with an additional $200K in incentives with the SSG Landers. The Cuban-born outfielder, who won a World Series with the Braves in 2021, will be playing in his third KBO season. Heredia, who spent seven years playing for five different MLB teams, is coming off a line of.360/.399/.538 with 31 doubles and 21 home runs. He has a two-season.343/.393/.502 slash in Korea. Heredia last played in the major leagues in 2022, when he was a depth outfielder for the Braves. The Heredia trade completes the Landers’ three international players for the next season after they added Mitch White and re-upped Drew Anderson earlier this month.

According to Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News, the Kia Tigers signed righty James Naile to a $1.6 million contract with $200K in incentives. This is the 31-year-old hurler’s second KBO season. Hardly could his first year have gone better. Yoo points out that Naile’s 2.53 ERA over 149 1/3 innings earned him the league’s ERA title, and the Tigers went on to win the Korean Series. Naile was struck in the jaw by a comebacker late in the season, but he recovered in time for the championship series. Naile, a former UAB 20th-round pick, played 17 games for the Cardinals in 2022–2023. Adam Oller, a righty, was signed by the Tigers earlier this winter. Outfielder Socrates Brito, who has played there for the last three seasons and is coming off a.310/.359/.516 performance, has not yet been told if he will be re-signed.

According to Kurtz, outfielder Victor Reyes is returning to the Lotte Giants on a $1 million contract with $250K in incentives. In his first season with Lotte, the switch-hitting center fielder hit 40 doubles and 15 longballs for a.352/.394/.511 slash. During his time in the major leagues, 30-year-old Reyes made appearances in portions of five seasons with the Tigers. Between 2018 and 22, he appeared in roughly 400 games for Detroit, making almost 1,300 plate appearances and hitting.264/.294/.379 in those games. Two spots are still open for international players with the Giants, and they can both be used for pitching. Aaron Wilkerson and Charlie Barnes filled those roles in 2024, although the team has not yet disclosed if either pitcher will return for the following campaign.