'4.4 Billion Gained' but Kiwoom Loses Sung-mun Song—Another Season at the Bottom? All Signs Point to Kiwoom's Major Play in Next Year's Free Agent Market

[Financial News] The 'MLB Training Ground' legacy of the Kiwoom Heroes continues. With Sung-mun Song (29) signing a four-year deal with the San Diego Padres, he becomes the sixth Kiwoom player to reach Major League Baseball (MLB), following Jung-ho Kang, Byung-ho Park, Ha-seong Kim, Jung Hoo Lee, and Hyeseong Kim. The posting success rate stands at 100%. Once again, wearing a Kiwoom uniform has proven to be a ticket to the majors.
The club's finances have also received a boost. With this latest transfer fee, Kiwoom's total posting revenue has soared well past 70 billion KRW. However, behind this business success lies a shadow cast over the field.
To put it bluntly, Kiwoom's outlook for the 2026 season is bleak. Sung-mun Song was an irreplaceable asset, leading the team in all major batting categories except stolen bases this year. The lineup, already struggling with the league's lowest batting average (.244), has now lost its only reliable anchor.
Although the team has brought in players like An Chi-hong and Choo Jae-hyun, they are not enough to fill the void left by Sung-mun Song. Some speculate that Kiwoom is intentionally tanking for a higher draft pick, but the club already has a deep pool of prospects. There is no reason to finish last on purpose. The real issue is the lack of firepower to win games. Even with An Woo-jin returning in May next year, it will be meaningless if the team cannot score runs.

However, it is too soon to despair. Paradoxically, Sung-mun Song's departure gives Kiwoom a compelling reason to become a 'storm' in the free agent market. Public opinion is not just encouraging but demanding that Kiwoom invest.
Kiwoom currently faces the challenge of meeting the Salary Cap floor. With the nullification of Sung-mun Song's 12 billion KRW multi-year contract, the team's total payroll is expected to fall well below the minimum. To avoid penalties and to hit the 'win-now' button when An Woo-jin returns, bringing in outside talent is not an option but a necessity.
Coincidentally, next season's free agent market is shaping up to be a historic 'gold mine.' Star players such as Noh Si-hwan (Hanwha Eagles), Hong Chang-ki and Park Dong-won (both LG Twins), Koo Ja-wook and Won Tae-in (both Samsung Lions), Bae Jung-dae (KT Wiz), and Ji Hoon Choi (SSG Landers) are all set to hit the market.
As seen in past deals like Lee Taek-keun's (four years, 5 billion KRW) and the recent Sung-mun Song contract (six years, 12 billion KRW fully guaranteed), Kiwoom is willing to spend big when the time is right. With ample posting revenue, Salary Cap floor pressure, a bona fide ace in An Woo-jin, and a loaded free agent market, every factor is telling Kiwoom: 'Now is the time to make a move.'
If Kiwoom uses the money from the Sung-mun Song deal to land one or two major contracts as they have in the past, the impact could be tremendous.
One way or another, the team will have to spend. By undermining other teams' multi-year contract efforts and driving up free agent prices, Kiwoom's moves are drawing significant attention as a potential game-changer in the market.
jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter