The Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization announced an 11-year extension with a third player This is Hwan Roh including the 2027-37 seasons. The contract is the longest in KBO history and the most expensive, as Roh is expected to earn up to $30.7 billion in winnings (a little over $21.3MM in USD). Other options are included in the deal, including the surprising possibility that an extension may not happen at all — following the 2026 KBO season, Roh is allowed to explore a move to Major League Baseball through the mail order.
If Roh is shipped next winter and does not agree to a deal with a major league team during the 30-day posting window, he will return to the Eagles and enter his 11-year commitment. If Roh were to sign with an MLB club, the Eagles would be in line to receive the sending money if Roh received a guaranteed deal worth at least $25MM. The money will be worth 20% of the first $25MM of Roh’s contract, 17.5% of the next $25MM, and $15% for anything over $50MM.
With $21.3MM already waiting for Roh, any interested Major League teams could go up a notch to lure Roh to the Eagles. The possibility of MLB locking out players next winter is another major factor for Roh and other international talent, as they may prefer to stay in their leagues rather than come to the big leagues during labor unrest.
There is also the fact that Roh may not trigger his release clause out of complete loyalty to the Eagles. “I want to share the beginning and end with Hanwha. I have never once thought of leaving the team, so I don’t even want to think about it,” Roh told ChosunBiz and other outlets. The length of the extension played a special role for Roh, saying “number 11 matches me over the 30.7 million winning figure. It inspires me and makes me proud. Joining the Hanwha Eagles and being able to play for one team for a long time as a baseball player is a great source of pride and it was my dream.”
With all of this in mind, Roh’s contract may be nothing more than a footnote in the transaction as far as Major League Baseball fans are concerned, if indeed he stays with the Eagles for the rest of his career. The nature of the contract could perhaps be an example for international teams (from the KBO or Nippon Professional Baseball of Japan) to entice some top talents to stay put, rather than looking for a contract in North America. When a team puts a tangible contract and figure on the table, the player now has a clear price point to take across the pond when negotiating with MLB teams.
Fans will get a chance to see Roh play for the South Korean team during the World Baseball Classic, and he has a great resume in seven seasons with the Eagles. Roh hit .264/.352/.449 with 124 home runs over 3347 career plate appearances, and hit a career-best 32 homers in 2025 while helping the Eagles reach the Korean Series for the first time since 2006. Roh has played exclusively at third base, which he has seen the last few seasons and the last few seasons.
Roh is entering his age-25 season, so he will be 26 when he is sent to the big leagues this offseason. This young age certainly informed the Eagles’ decision to commit so long to Roh, and his youth may hold some appeal (though obviously not at 11 years old) to any interested MLB teams.
