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Ex-MLB player signs KBO’s largest foreign player contract ever

December 2, 2015
Former New York Yankees' pitcher Esmil Rogers just signed the biggest contract for a foreign player over in the Korean Baseball Organization. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Former New York Yankees’ pitcher Esmil Rogers just signed the biggest contract for a foreign player over in the Korean Baseball Organization. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

By Brian Han

It’s true that Park Byung-ho’s contract with the Minnesota Twins may be the talk of the town in terms of foreign baseball exports.

But a former Major League Baseball (MLB) player made waves after finalizing a historic deal with a club in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO).

Pitcher Esmil Rogers and the Hanwha Eagles agreed to a one-year $1.9 million contract, setting the record for the largest salary for a foreign player in the 33-year history of the league.

The name should sound familiar, especially to New York Yankees fans who probably saw the 30-year-old take the mound late in the 2014 regular season.

In his first game with the major league club, he put on a promising performance by tossing three shutout innings. Rogers then went on to record his first win just a few days later after a five-inning, one-run start.

The Yankees then signed him to a one-year $1.48 million contract for 2015.

After posting a 6.27 ERA in 18 appearances, the club sent him down to Triple A, sparking his move over to South Korea where he began to find some consistency.

Rogers went 6-2 with a 2.97 ERA in 10 appearances with the Eagles, which included three complete game shutouts. He also racked up 65 strikeouts in 75 2/3 innings.