15.1% drop compared to last year
The average age and year of the players decrease
Shin-soo Choo’s highest annual salary of 2.7 billion won
In 2021, the average annual salary of professional baseball players dropped by more than two digit points from the previous year.
The KBO secretariat analyzed the registration status of 10 club players and released the annual salary data for their players.
Excluding new players and foreign players, the average annual salary of 532 players from 10 clubs was 12,273 million won, down 15.1% from 144.48 million won last year.
The total annual salary of the squad has also decreased by about 8,7 billion won to 6,529 billion won from 7,374 billion won last year.
High-paying players such as Park Yong-taek and Kim Tae-gyun retired, Yang Hyun-jong left for the U.S. professional baseball, and each club changed its operational stance through internal training and reconstruction, and the reason for the decrease in salary is one of the reasons.
The average age of the athletes decreased from 27.3 to 27.1 years, and the annual professional year decreased from 8.4 to 8.1 years, respectively.
The average annual salary of KBO League players surpassed 150 million won for the first time in 2018, and reached an all-time high of 150.65 million won in 2019. However, in 2019 and 2020, it has returned to a decline of two years.
Among the clubs, SK Wyverns, which is acquired by Shinsegae Group E-Mart, has the highest total annual salary of 174.2 million won.
SK’s average annual salary jumped 20.3% from 144.48 million won last year, thanks to the recruitment of’Big League’ Choo Shin-soo (39) and catching Choi Ju-hwan in the free agent (FA) market.
The 2020 regular league and Korea series integrated championship team NC Dinos followed by 148.8 million won and Doosan Bears with 145.4 million won.
The average annual salary of Hanwha Eagles was the lowest at 79.94 million won.
The only clubs with an average annual salary increased were SK and kt (6.7%, KRW 11.11 million), which entered the postseason for the first time since its foundation.
Choo Shin-soo, who is about to make his debut in the KBO League after ending 20 years of life in the United States, stamped 2.7 billion won and became the highest salary player at once. Shin-soo Choo spends 1 billion won in social contribution activities in consultation with the club. Yang Eui-ji (NC) and Park Byeong-ho (Keewoom Heroes) received 1.5 billion won and tied for second place, Choi Jeong (Shinsegae E-Mart, 1.2 billion won) ranked fourth, and Oh Seung-hwan (Samsung Lions, 1.1 billion won) tied for fifth overall. He was named the highest-paid player in the pitcher.
Lee Dae-ho (Lotte Giants), who received an annual salary of 2.5 billion won over the past four years, gave his friend Choo Shin-soo a salary king.
Kiwoom’s Lee Jung-hoo signed a contract for 550 million won this year, the fifth year as a pro, and set a new record for the highest annual salary for three consecutive years.
In 2020, the rookie king So-Jun So-Jun (kt) made a record of the highest increase this year by signing 140 million won, an increase of 418.5%.
The number of players with a billion-year salary was 161, the same as last year, the third highest after 2018 (164) and 2017 (163).
Playing coach Song Seung-joon (Lotte) became the oldest player of the season with 40 years, 7 months and 3 days, and Hanwha Jung Min-gyu became the youngest player at 18 years and 22 days.
/yunhap news
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