[Official Announcement] Kiwoom Makes Decision, Proceeds with Matt Davidson Acquisition! 'Second Starter' Nathan Wiles Waiver Request Filed

*This content was translated by AI.

Kiwoom Heroes has unexpectedly signed foreign batter Matt Davidson (35), who was placed on waivers by NC Dinos, to bolster its lineup.

On the 29th, the Kiwoom club officially announced, "We have requested the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) to place foreign pitcher Nathan Wiles on waivers and simultaneously submitted an application to transfer the contract of foreign batter Matt Davidson, who was placed on waivers by NC Dinos on the 27th."

According to the club, the decision to sign Davidson was finalized immediately after a 2-9 complete loss to Changwon NC on the 28th. The club plans to proceed with administrative procedures in accordance with regulations on waivers and player contract transfers. Davidson, who will wear the Kiwoom uniform, is expected to join the team on July 4. In accordance with regulations on contract transfers for players on waivers, Kiwoom will pay the remaining salary from the contract NC had with Davidson.

Davidson began his professional career after being drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2009 MLB First-Year Player Draft. He has played for the Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, and Oakland Athletics. In 2023, he played for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), gaining experience in Asian baseball.

Davidson made his KBO League debut in 2024 after signing with NC Dinos, hitting 46 home runs in his rookie season to claim the KBO League Home Run Champion title. He continued to demonstrate top-tier power hitting in 2025 with 36 home runs. Although he played for NC this season, he was unexpectedly placed on waivers on the 27th. Over his three seasons with NC, Davidson's career statistics stand at 331 hits, 90 home runs, a .298 batting average, and an OPS of 0.955.

The reason Kiwoom sent out pitcher Wiles and selected batter Davidson is clear: to maximize the team's offensive power by adding proven power hitting.

A Kiwoom club official explained the background of the acquisition: "Our current starting rotation, centered on Alcantara, Ha Young-min, An Woo-jin, Bae Dong-hyun, and Park Jun-hyun, has a certain level of competitiveness, but there were relative shortcomings in offensive power. With Davidson's addition, we expect new vitality to be added to the team's lineup. In particular, we hope he will generate strong synergy with existing foreign batter Keiston Hira and open a breakthrough for the team's offense."

As Kiwoom, which had been suffering from a lack of power hitters, seeks to mount a second-half comeback through a powerful foreign lineup featuring Davidson and Hira, baseball fans are closely watching to see if they can succeed.

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*This content was translated by AI.