LG's new history → 3rd companion...Austin Thank You "I'm looking forward to the day I'm going to sleep and run again."
LG's new history → 3rd companion...Austin Thank You "I'm looking forward to the day I'm going to sleep and run again."
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LG Twins foreign hitter Austin Dean, who played for two consecutive seasons, thanked fans as he continued to accompany LG next year.
"I'm back in my place! I'm so happy to be with the LG Twins in the 2025 season," Austin said on his social network service on Sunday. "I can't wait to play in Jamsil again in front of the best fans."
In a press release on the day, LG announced the renewal of contracts with foreign batter Austin and foreign pitcher Elijah Hernandez. Austin agreed to sign contracts for the 2025 season for a total of 1.7 million dollars (down payment of 300,000 dollars, annual salary of 1.2 million dollars, incentive of 200,000 dollars) and Hernandez for a total of 1.3 million dollars (down payment of 300,000 dollars, annual salary of 800,000 dollars, incentive of 200,000 dollars). 메이저놀이터
LG signed Austin, a foreign hitter, for a total of $700,000 (down payment of $100,000, annual salary of $400,000, incentive of $200,000) in December 2022. A 2012 Miami Marlins draft pick, Austin made his big league debut in 2018, batting .228 with 11 homers, 42 RBIs and an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of 0.676 in 126 games over five seasons. He also played in a total of 289 games for Triple-A, posting a .301 batting average, 45 homers, 174 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.883.
LG had high expectations on Austin after suffering from foreign hitters in 2022 following 2021. "Austin Dean is a right-handed hitter with sophisticated contact and slugging capability. As he can play multiple positions as a first baseman and an outfielder, he is expected to be able to play in flexible games and be highly utilized in various team options," the team said.
LG's expectations have become a reality. Austin, who played one of the pillars of the lineup, has perfectly adapted to the KBO league by posting 163 hits in 139 games and 520 at-bats for the 2023 season with a batting average of 0.313, 23 home runs, 95 RBIs and an OPS of 0.893. At the Korean Series against KT Wiz, he also played seven hits in 20 times at bat with a batting average of 0.350 one home run and five RBIs, contributing significantly to his team's overall win in 29 years.
In less than a week after the end of last year's Korean Series, LG and Austin agreed to sign a contract for the 2024 season for a total of 1.3 million U.S. dollars (down payment of 300,000 dollars, annual salary of 800,000 dollars, and incentive of 200,000 dollars). LG had no reason to think about renewing the contract.
Austin continued to fulfill his role during the 2024 season. He performed better than the previous year by posting 168 hits from 527 times at bat in 140 games with a batting average of 0.319 with 32 home runs and 132 RBIs with an OPS of 0.957.
He also marked a milestone in the club's history. He completed 30 home runs-100 RBIs in a single season in the game against the Kiwoom Heroes in Gocheok on August 24, and broke the club's record of most RBIs in a season against the Hanwha Eagles in Jamsil on September 7, surpassing 119 RBIs of Chae Eun-sung (currently Hanwha) in 2018 and Kim Hyun-soo (LG) in 2020.
LG hopes Austin will play his part next year as well. "Austin and Hernandez have fully played their roles in pitching and batting in the 2024 season. They have fully adapted to the KBO League and are looking forward to performing well in the next season as well," the team said. "We also hope that the players with outstanding personality including teamwork and skills will have a positive impact on the team's mood."
Meanwhile, LG signed a contract with new foreign pitcher Yoni Chirinos for a total of $1 million ($200,000 down payment, $800,000 per year) on the 27th and completed the formation of foreign players in the 2025 season by renewing contracts with Austin and Hernandez. Currently, there are a total of four teams, including LG, Doosan Bears, SSG Landers and Kiwoom Heroes, who have completed the formation of foreign players in the 2025 season.