Kia Tigers re-sign outfielder Brito

Sports 14:37 November 08, 2022

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Nov. 8 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean baseball club Kia Tigers announced Tuesday they will bring back outfielder Socrates Brito for his second season.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club said Brito agreed to a new one-year deal worth up to US$1.1 million. He will make $500,000 in salary, $300,000 in signing bonus and up to $300,000 in incentives. He played the 2022 season on a $900,000 deal, which included a $100,000 signing bonus and $300,000 in incentives.

In this file photo from Oct. 13, 2022, Socrates Brito of the Kia Tigers celebrates his RBI single against the KT Wiz during the top of the fourth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization wild card game at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, 35 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)

The former major leaguer from the Dominican Republic quickly became a fan favorite for the Tigers, batting .311/.354/.494 with 17 home runs, 77 RBIs and 12 steals in 127 games in his first KBO season.

Brito was voted the KBO's Player of the Month for May after leading the league in batting average (.415), slugging percentage (.698) and hits (44), while ranking second in RBIs (28), runs scored (20) and on-base plus slugging (1.145).

Brito was slowed in July after getting hit in the face by a pitch from SSG Landers starter Kim Kwang-hyun. Brito was sidelined for a month.