KBO Asks MLB to Post Noh Si-hwan, Opening 30-Day Market

The Korea Baseball Organization has formally asked Major League Baseball to post Hanwha Eagles third baseman Noh Si-hwan, opening the path for one of the KBO’s leading power hitters to negotiate with all 30 MLB clubs.

The KBO submitted the request on Saturday, October 31, after receiving authorization from Hanwha. Once MLB officially notifies its clubs, Noh’s negotiating window will begin at 8 a.m. Eastern Time the following day and run through 5 p.m. on the 30th day.

All 30 MLB clubs can negotiate with Noh Si-hwan

The posting does not send Noh to a specific organization. Instead, every MLB team will be eligible to negotiate directly with the 25-year-old infielder during the 30-day period.

If Noh signs, the acquiring club must pay Hanwha a release fee under the player-transfer agreement between KBO and MLB. If no agreement is reached before the deadline, the posting will close and Noh cannot be posted again until November 1, 2027.

The move turns a long-anticipated possibility into an active transaction process. Hanwha agreed to give Noh an MLB opportunity as part of the record contract he signed before the 2026 season.

Noh enters the market after another 29-homer season

Noh hit .283 with 29 home runs and 96 RBIs in 127 games for Hanwha in 2026. He added a .360 on-base percentage and .505 slugging percentage for an .865 OPS, according to official KBO statistics.

That production followed several seasons among the league’s most consistent power bats. Noh led the KBO with 31 home runs and 101 RBIs in 2023, then set a career high with 32 homers while again driving in 101 runs in 2025.

Since the start of 2023, he ranks second in the KBO with 116 home runs and 387 RBIs. Primarily a third baseman, Noh has also played first base, giving interested clubs another option for how his right-handed power could fit a roster.

He has a .267 career average with 153 home runs and 586 RBIs across 957 KBO games. Noh was the third overall pick in the 2018 KBO draft and made his Eagles debut in 2019.

Hanwha contract included a route to MLB

In February, Hanwha signed Noh to an 11-year deal worth 30.7 billion won, the longest and largest contract in KBO history. The agreement was scheduled to take effect in 2027 and included a clause allowing him to pursue MLB through the posting system after the 2026 season.

The contract also established that Noh would return to Hanwha if he later came back to the KBO. His posting therefore gives him a defined opportunity to test the major-league market without ending his long-term connection to the Eagles.

Noh also strengthened his international profile in 2026. He played for South Korea at the World Baseball Classic and captained the national team to the gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September.

The next formal step is MLB’s notice to its clubs. From that point, the clock begins on a month-long market for one of Korean baseball’s most accomplished young sluggers.