*This content was translated by AI.
Cho Sang-woo (32), an internal free agent (FA) of the KIA Tigers, remained in a surprise move. The contract period is two years. The total amount is 1.5 billion won.
However, there was a secret (?) contract that KIA did not disclose in the press release related to the contract with Cho Sang-woo, so it was a kind of option. If Cho Sang-woo performs well two years later, KIA will negotiate first, and if Cho Sang-woo wants to sign a contract with another team, KIA will release him without exercising the right to hold.
KIA said on the 21st, "I signed an FA contract with Cho Sang-woo for a total of 1.5 billion won, including a down payment of 500 million won, an annual salary of 800 million won, and incentives for two years."
1.3 billion won is the guaranteed amount. 200 million won is an additional amount that Cho Sang-woo can take in the future.
Both Cho Sang-woo and KIA agreed on two years, not four years. Considering Cho Sang-woo's current age, it can be said to be an unusual short period.
There is a reason. Jo Sang-woo wanted to be evaluated again two years later in order to raise his ransom further. KIA also chose to watch for two more years rather than guaranteeing four years.
And there is one interesting option in this contract. An KIA official said in a phone call with Star News after the announcement of the contract, "Cho Sang-woo will first negotiate with KIA when the two-year contract period ends. However, behind closed doors, certain standards agreed upon by the club and players have been set. You can think of it as a hurdle. "If he crosses this hurdle, Cho Sang-woo first negotiated with KIA, and inserted a clause in the condition of releasing it without exercising the right to hold if it breaks down and wants to go to another club," he explained. If such a good performance is achieved, Cho Sang-woo can freely contact and sign contracts with not only KIA but also the other nine clubs.
In this situation, the best scenario for both teams and players is to sign a larger, non-FA multi-year contract with KIA, with Cho Sang-woo first negotiating with KIA after two years of good performance.
As a result, the option clause is expected to be a great motivation for Cho Sang-woo.
However, if Cho Sang-woo does not perform well for two years, all of these scenarios will go up in smoke. And he remains a general salary renewal target and remains at KIA.
Meanwhile, Cho Sang-woo, who joined the Nexen Heroes (currently Kiwoom Heroes) as the No. 1 overall draft in 2013, wore a KIA Tigers uniform through a trade in December 2024. At that time, KIA and Kiwoom agreed to a trade. Instead of paying Kiwoom 1 billion won in cash, KIA held Cho Sang-woo in its arms in the first and fourth rounds of the 2026 rookie draft.
It was clear why KIA recruited Cho Sang-woo. It was to fill the void of Jang Hyun-sik, who left for the LG Twins after obtaining FA status after the end of the 2024 season. At the same time, KIA accelerated its bid to win the integrated championship for the second consecutive year. KIA fans welcomed Cho Sang-woo's recruitment and hoped for a good performance.
An official from KIA said at the time, "We pushed for this trade by agreeing with the field and the need to strengthen the bullpen," adding, "Cho Sang-woo is a proven pitcher who has a wide range of pitches such as splitters, changeups, and curves. As he has played a must-win role in the KBO league and international competitions, he said, "I expect it to be of great help to the team in the future."
However, it was not an easy day, with the issue of lowering the arrest. On top of that, he was no longer seen in the first team after the match on August 10 due to an inflammatory shoulder injury. KIA said after Cho Sang-woo's trade, there was no abnormality in the shoulder and elbow tests. It didn't cause health problems even during the season. As such, ball power rarely rose throughout the 2025 season, and in the second half of the year, he even gave up a must-win position.
Cho Sang-woo played a role in the team's must-win group in the 2025 season. Cho Sang-woo pitched 72 games and recorded 6 wins, 1 save, 55 strikeouts, and an ERA of 3.90 in 60 innings, and won 28 holds, breaking the record for the most holds in a single season. He has played in 415 games in 10 seasons until 2025, recording a 3.21 ERA with 39 wins, 89 saves, 82 holds, and 485 strikeouts.
After signing the contract, Cho Sang-woo said through the club, "I'm sorry to the fans for not being able to deliver the news of the contract quickly. As it is delayed, we plan to prepare for the season more firmly, and we will return the fans with a great performance on the mound at Champions Field." He then said, "I will be a player who will be a great addition to the team as well as personal performance during the contract period, and I will try to get good reviews from the club in the renewal negotiations two years later."
KIA general manager Shim Jae-hak said, "Cho Sang-woo played a must-win group with the most holds in the team last season. He said, "He is an essential player for our team, and I expect that he will be a great help to the team's bullpen by protecting the victory at every important moment this season."
After signing the contract, Cho Sang-woo will join the spring camp squad and leave for Amami-Oshima, Japan, on the 23rd.
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*This content was translated by AI.
