Kiwoom Heroes re-sign Ronnie Dawson on one-year, $600,000 deal

Baseball

Published: 11 Dec. 2023, 11:53

Kiwoom Heroes re-sign Ronnie Dawson on one-year, $600,000 deal

Kiwoom Heroes' Ronnie Dawson runs to first during a game against the KT Wiz at Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul in September. [NEWS1]

The Kiwoom Heroes have re-signed Ronnie Dawson on a one-year deal worth up to $600,000.

The 28-year-old outfielder will receive a guaranteed salary of $550,000 with up to $50,000 in incentives.

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Dawson joined the Heroes in July during the middle of the 2023 KBO season as a replacement for shortstop Addison Russell, who was released from the Heroes after a wrist injury.

Dawson’s new deal marks a big jump from the $85,000 that brought him to Korea, to finish out the season for the Heroes.

KBO teams are allowed to sign up to three foreign players, with first-year salaries capped at $1 million.

Dawson ended his Heroes debut with a .336 batting average with three homers and 29 RBIs over 57 games.

Dawson, who bats left and throws right, came to Korea after eight years in the United States, getting time in both the Minors and the Majors.

He made his MLB debut with the Houston Astros in 2021, making six plate appearances that year, and then made three plate appearances for the Cincinnati Reds in 2022.

Dawson spent most of his time in the Minors, batting an average of .247 and recording 72 homers and 305 over six seasons. He did not play in 2020 when Minor League Baseball was canceled due to the pandemic.

BY MARY YANG [mary.yang@joongang.co.kr]