▲ Doosan Bears Heo Gyeong-min (left) and Yu Hee-gwan


A total of 16 players have entered the professional baseball Stove League.



The Korea Baseball Commission today (28th) unveiled a list of 16 free agency-approved players in 2021.



FA-approved players are Hee-Kwan Yu, Lee Yong-chan, Jae-ho Kim, Jae-il Oh, Joo-Hwan Choi, Gyeong-min Heo, Sue Bin (Doosan Bears), Woo-Chan Cha, Yong-eui Kim (LG Twins), Sangsoo Kim (Keeum Heroes), Hyunjong Yang, Hyungwoo Choi (KIA Tigers), Daeho Lee These are (Lotte Giants), Gyumin Woo, Wonseok Lee (Samsung Lions), and Seonghyun Kim (SK Wyverns).



They can sign contracts with any club, including overseas clubs, from the 29th.



There are a total of 9 players who have achieved FA qualification and have not applied.



Kim Hyun-soo, who has contract terms with LG, as well as Doosan Kwon Hyuk, Jang Won-jun, KIA Na Ju-hwan, Lotte Jang Won-sam, SK Kim Se-hyun, Park Hee-soo, and Yoon Seok-min, did not apply for free agency.



Kwon Hyuk declared his retirement.



The range of compensation for FA varies depending on the level.



Among the new FAs, A-class (a player within the 3rd place in the average annual salary ranking and 30th place in the overall annual salary ranking within the club excluding the existing FA contract player) is a monetary equivalent to 200% of the player's annual salary. Rewards and 1 player other than the 20 protected players determined by the free agency earning club must be rewarded.



If the player's primary club does not wish to compensate for the player, it may be substituted for 300% of the previous year's annual salary.



The FA rating must meet the requirements of both the club ranking and the overall ranking, but only in the first year of implementation, players who are within the 30th place in the league’s overall salary ranking are classified as A grade regardless of the salary ranking within the club.



Hee-gwan Yu, Lee Yong-chan, Jae-il Oh, Ju-hwan Choi, Gyeong-min Heo, Su-bin Su, Sang-soo Kim, and Seong-hyun Kim are grade A.



B-Class (4th to 10th in the club's annual salary ranking and 31st to 60th in the overall annual salary ranking) A club that signs a contract with a player will receive a monetary reward equal to 100% of the player's annual salary and 25 as determined by the free agency. One player must be rewarded in addition to the two protected players.



If the player's primary club does not want the player's compensation, they can substitute 200% of the previous year's annual salary.



Jaeho Kim, Woochan Cha, Hyunjong Yang, Hyungwoo Choi, Daeho Lee, Gyumin Woo, and Wonseok Lee received B grades.



A club that signs a contract with a Class C (11th or less in the club's annual salary ranking and 61st or less in the overall annual salary ranking) is required to pay 150% of the annual salary of the year immediately preceding the player.



New free agents aged 35 and over can transfer only with financial compensation equivalent to 150% of the previous year's annual salary without player compensation, regardless of the salary ranking.



Kim Yong-eui was the only one who received a C grade.



If you have earned your second FA status, the same compensation rules as for the new FA Level B apply.



However, requalified players who have already received a C grade from the new FA will receive the same C grade reward.



Athletes who requalify for a third or higher FA will be subject to the same compensation rules as the new FA Class C.



Each club may sign up to two of the FA-approved players of the other club, excluding the FA-approved players of the original club.



(Photo = Yonhap News)