Hanwha Eagles infielder Noh Si-hwan has landed a record-setting payday. The question now is whether he can outperform SSG Landers star Choi Jeong and turn the deal into one of the league’s best values.
Hanwha said on Feb. 23 that it signed Noh to a multiyear contract before he reaches free agency. The deal runs 11 years and totals 30.7 billion won, including incentives, making it the longest and largest contract in KBO League history across both free-agent and non-free-agent agreements. The contract also includes a clause allowing Noh to pursue a move to Major League Baseball via posting after this season.
The agreement surprised many. A long-term deal had been widely discussed, but the 11-year length and a price tag in the 30 billion won range exceeded expectations.
Noh’s single contract also surpasses the combined 30.2 billion won total of Choi’s three free-agent deals: 8.6 billion won over four years, 10.6 billion won over six years and 11.0 billion won over four years. A Hanwha official said the total amount carried symbolic meaning, reflecting the club’s hope that Noh will become a player who surpasses Choi.
Noh’s average annual value is also higher: 2.79 billion won compared with Choi’s roughly 2.16 billion won.
The two share several similarities: both are third basemen, right-handed power hitters, received military-service benefits and reached the first-team roster quickly enough to qualify for free agency early. One difference is age. Noh will play the 2027 season at 26, while Choi was 28 in 2015, his first season after his initial free-agent deal. With age heavily weighed in free agency and the value of money declining over time, it is easier to understand why Noh received more. Still, because Noh signed an ultra-long deal rather than multiple contracts like Choi, injuries could have a bigger impact.
That is why Hanwha fans are likely to measure Noh against Choi. Choi’s first free-agent deal was widely viewed as team-friendly, and he later signed second and third deals while showing continued trust in the club. On the statistics site STATIZ, Choi posted a combined WAR (wins above replacement) of 53.99 over 11 years, an average of 4.91 per year. That works out to about 560 million won spent per 1 WAR. Noh recorded a WAR of 4.88 this season, and his career-best 2023 season produced a WAR of 6.74.
Noh has effectively committed his career to Hanwha. The key question is whether, from 2027 through 2037 when the non-free-agent multiyear deal applies, he can exceed Choi’s level of production. If Noh delivers steady results comparable to Choi’s, criticism that the contract is an overpay could shift to praise for a rare bargain.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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