Koo Ja-wook and Won Tae-in Put Samsung at Center of KBO Free Agency

The KBO’s 2027 free-agent eligibility list puts newly crowned Korean Series champion Daegu Samsung Lions at the center of the offseason. Captain and Korean Series MVP Koo Ja-wook and title-clinching starter Won Tae-in are among 28 players eligible to exercise free-agent rights, the league announced Friday, November 13.

Both Samsung stars are classified as Class A free agents, the compensation tier that makes them costly for rival clubs to sign. Eligible players must tell the KBO by Sunday whether they will enter the market, with the approved list due Monday and negotiations opening Tuesday.

Samsung’s championship core faces a decision

Koo, 33, enters the process after one of the strongest seasons of his career. The Lions captain won the KBO batting title with a .371 average and led the league with a .458 on-base percentage.

He then went 10-for-20 with one home run and six RBIs in Samsung’s five-game Korean Series victory over the KT Wiz, earning series MVP honors as the Lions claimed their ninth championship. Koo has reportedly hired U.S.-based agent Jaron Long while considering his future, creating both a possible overseas path and a major retention challenge for Samsung.

Won, 26, delivered the title-clinching start, allowing one run over five innings in Game 5 after working from the bullpen earlier in the postseason. His regular season was less dominant: the right-hander went 7-9 with a 4.52 ERA in 26 appearances, his highest ERA and lowest win total in six years.

Even so, Won’s age, starting experience and local ties make him one of the most valuable pitchers in a market with limited rotation depth.

How the 2027 KBO free-agent class is structured

The KBO listed six Class A players, 14 in Class B and eight in Class C. Fifteen are eligible for the first time, six have requalified, and seven carried over eligibility after declining to exercise their rights previously.

Other Class A players include LG Twins outfielder Hong Chang-ki, KT Wiz outfielders Kim Min-hyuk and Bae Jung-dae, and Hanwha Eagles reliever Park Sang-won. KT and the SSG Landers lead all clubs with six eligible players apiece.

A club signing a Class A free agent must compensate the former team with 200 percent of the player’s 2026 salary plus one unprotected player, or pay 300 percent of the salary without a player changing teams. Class B and Class C signings carry progressively lighter compensation.

The list will shrink before negotiations begin

Eligibility does not guarantee that all 28 players will enter free agency. Players have until November 15 to apply, and the KBO will publish the final approved list on November 16. Approved free agents may negotiate with every KBO club and overseas teams beginning November 17.

For Samsung, the first major question of the winter is immediate: whether the champions can keep the captain who powered their offense and the hometown starter who finished the title run.