Oh Ji-hwan signs huge 12.4-billion-won contract extension with LG Twins

Oh Ji-hwan, right, shakes hands with LG Sports CEO Kim In-seok after signing a six-year deal worth 12.4 billion won with the LG Twins on Jan. 19. [YONHAP]

Infielder Oh Ji-hwan signed a six-year contract extension worth 12.4 billion won ($10 million) with the LG Twins on Thursday.

The Twins announced on Thursday that Oh will earn 10 billion won as guaranteed salary with 2.4 billion won in incentives. This is the first time that the Twins have signed a multi-year deal with a non-free agent player.

Oh is a one-club man, joining the Twins in 2009 and playing 14 seasons with the Seoul club. He has a career .265 batting average with 880 runs, 146 career home runs and 240 steals. He posted good numbers last season, with a .269 batting average, 25 home runs, 20 steals and 75 runs.

A versatile shortstop, Oh was first player from that position ever to join the 20-20 club from one of the two Jamsil Baseball Stadium teams, the Twins and the Doosan Bears.

He earned free agency for the first time in 2019 and signed a four-year deal with the Twins worth 4 billion won, reflecting what the club believed was his value at the time. In the intervening years he has proven his worth and raised his ticket price significantly, including captaining the team and earning the starting spot as shortstop for the Korean national team.

“It is such a big honor to play as a one-club man," Oh said, "and I am grateful that the club made it happen.

“I am also really thankful for all the fans supporting me. I am well aware of how much the fans and the club expect of me, and I will do my best to meet their expectations.”

BY PAIK JI-HWAN AND JIM BULLEY [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]