LG Twins bring back slugger Dean on record contract for foreign hitter
The LG Twins announced Thursday they will bring back their American slugger Austin Dean on the most lucrative deal for a foreign hitter in South Korean baseball history. The Twins said Dean will be back for his fifth season in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on a new one-year deal worth $2 million. The previous record for the biggest annual salary for a foreign hitter had been $1.8 million,…
The LG Twins announced on Thursday that they will re-sign their American slugger Austin Dean to the most lucrative deal for a foreign hitter in South Korean baseball history. Dean will return for his fifth season in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) under a new one-year contract worth $2 million. This surpasses the previous record of $1.8 million, previously held by Mel Rojas Jr. and Guillermo Heredia in 2025.
Dustin Nippert of the Doosan Bears holds the record for the highest annual salary for a foreign player, earning $2.1 million in 2017. During his time with the Twins, Dean played all 144 games in 2026, setting a franchise record with 41 home runs, which ranked third overall in the league. He led the KBO in on-base plus slugging with a 1.062, and finished third with 127 RBIs and 180 hits, as well as fourth in the average category with a .331.
Dean has been among the most productive hitters since joining the Twins in 2023, securing the Golden Glove at first base in 2023 and 2024, and leading the KBO in 2024.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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