Key players behind Lions' Korean Series title run headline list of potential free agents

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Two stars who played key roles in the Samsung Lions' run to the Korean Series title this month headlined the list of players eligible for free agency in South Korean baseball, the…

SEOUL, Nov. 13 (Yonhap) -- Two stars who played key roles in the Samsung Lions' run to the Korean Series title this month headlined the list of players eligible for free agency in South Korean baseball, the top league office announced Friday.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said 28 players are eligible for free agency this offseason.

According to the league, 15 players are eligible for free agency for the first time, while six players will hit the open market for the second or third time in their careers. Another seven players had been eligible last year but chose not to exercise their rights then, making them eligible again this winter.

The two biggest names belong to the Lions, with their veteran starter Won Tae-in and captain Koo Ja-wook on the list.

Koo, 33, was voted the Korean Series MVP after batting 10-for-20 with a home run and six RBIs in a five-game victory over the KT Wiz. He has reportedly hired U.S.-based agent Jaron Long in pursuit of a major league opportunity, but the Lions are also expected to try to keep their franchise star around for a few more years.

Koo won his first career batting title this year with a .371 average and also led the league with a .458 on-base percentage.

Won, 26, was the winning pitcher of the title-clinching game as he tossed five innings of one-run ball. The careerlong starter had worked out of the bullpen in earlier games during the postseason before making that start against the Wiz.

Won's postseason success masked his regular-season woes. He went 7-9 with a 4.52 ERA in 26 regular-season outings, posting his worst ERA and fewest wins in six years.

The native of Daegu, the Lions' home city located some 230 kilometers southeast of Seoul, has been a fan favorite since his debut in 2019, and is expected to command much interest in an open market lacking other viable starting pitching options.

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