NC Dinos reunite with veteran outfielder Son Ah-seop

The NC Dinos have re-signed veteran outfielder Son Ah-seop on a one-year contract, extending support to the 38-year-old professional following his release by another team. The Korean outfielder agreed to a contract worth 50 million won, half of his earnings from his time with the Hanwha Eagles and Doosan Bears. Son stands third on all-time Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) rankings with 2,655 hits.

Playing left-handed and right-handed, Son spent from 2007 to 2021 with Lotte Giants, and joined the Dinos as a free agent ahead of the 2022 season. The Dinos traded Son to the Eagles in July 2025, who retained him on a one-year deal in February this year before shipping him to the Bears two months later. Son played just 54 games this year, batting .236, his lowest numbers since 2009.

After the Bears declined to bring him back on October 19, many feared Son's career might be over due to his poor defensive skills and declining batting abilities. However, the Dinos still saw value in Son to give him a new contract. General manager Lim Sun-nam noted that Son is a battle-tested player who will add diversity to the lineup, mostly built on right-handed bats, and hopes he will positively influence the clubhouse with his experience and know-how.

Son is anticipated to join the club during offseason training in January. Currently, Son trails Choi Hyoung-woo of the Samsung Lions and Kim Hyun-soo of the KT Wiz on the all-time hits list. Park Yong-taik, a former LG Twins player, previously held the record with 2,504 hits, and Son became the first player to surpass that mark in June 2024.