In 2021, the average annual salary of professional baseball players dropped by more than two digit points from the previous year.
The Secretariat of the Korea Baseball Commission (KBO) analyzed the registration status of players in 10 clubs and released the annual salary data for their players on the 4th.
Excluding new and foreign players, the average annual salary of 532 players from 10 clubs was 12.73 million won, down 15.1% from 144.44 million won last year. The total annual salary of the squad has also decreased by about 8,7 billion won from 73.9 billion won last year to 65.29 billion won.
High-paid players such as Park Yong-taek and Kim Tae-gyun retired, and Yang Hyeon-jong left for the US professional baseball, and the reasons for the decrease in salaries are that each club has changed its operational stance through internal training and rebuilding.
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 1565 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 144.8 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/Korea series integrated championship team NC Dinos followed by 148.8 million won and Doosan Bears with 145.4 million won. Hanwha Eagles’ average annual salary was the lowest at 79.94 million won.
The only two teams with an average annual salary increased were SK and KT Wiz (6.7%, KRW 111.1 million), which entered the postseason last year 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 (Kiwoom Heroes) won 1.5 billion won, winning a joint second place, Choi Jeong (Shinsegae E-mart, 1.2 billion won), and Oh Seung-hwan (Samsung Lions, 1.1 billion won) tied for fifth place. He was named the highest-paid player in pitching.
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 the position of salary king.
Kiwoom’s Lee Jung-hoo signed a contract for 500 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-jun (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
Kiho Ilbo, KIHOILBO