Chae Eun-seong joins Hanwha Eagles on six-year deal

Chae Eun-seong poses in a Hanwha Eagles jacket in a photo released by the club on Tuesday. [HANWHA EAGLES]

The Hanwha Eagles on Tuesday signed free agent infielder Chae Eun-seong on a six-year deal worth 9 billion won ($6.7 million).

Chae, who formally played for the LG Twins, will earn 4.4 billion won in annual salary with a 3.6-billion-won signing bonus and a billion won in incentives.

Chae joined the LG Twins in 2009 and debuted in 2014. He has a career .297 batting average with 96 home runs and 595 RBIs across 1,006 games. In the 2022 season he recorded a .296 batting average with 138 hits, 48 runs, 83 RBIs and 12 home runs.

“Chae is a clutch hitter with a career batting average of .322 and 55 home runs with runners on base,” Hanwha said in a statement. “He can play as an outfielder or an infielder and was an obvious pick because he can bolster both our offense and defense.”

Chae’s departure sees the Twins lose both of their “A” rated players in the 2022 free agent market, The “A” rating is given to the players that are thought to have the most value, and two former Twins, Chae and Yoo Kang-nam, received the badge.

Catcher Yoo signed with the Lotte Giants on Monday.

Chae is the first infielder or outfielder to be signed in the free agent market so far this season. Pitcher Won Jong-hyan signed the first deal on Saturday, with catchers Yoo and Park Dong-won signing on Monday. Pitcher Jang Si-hwan also signed a deal on Tuesday.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]