NC Dinos reunite with veteran outfielder Son Ah-seop

The NC Dinos announced Wednesday they have reunited with veteran outfielder Son Ah-seop on a one-year contract, extending a lifeline to the 38-year-old days after he was released by another team.

The Dinos said Son agreed to a contract worth 50 million won ($37,550), half of what he made this season while playing for the Hanwha Eagles and then the Doosan Bears.

Son is third on the all-time rankings in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) with 2,655 hits.

Son, who throws and bats left, played for the Lotte Giants from 2007 to 2021, and then joined the Dinos as a free agent before the 2022 season. The Dinos traded him to the Eagles in July 2025, and the Eagles, after retaining Son on a one-year deal in free agency in February this year, shipped him to the Bears two months later.

Son ended up playing just 54 games this year and batted .236, his worst numbers since 2009.

The Bears decided not to bring him back on Oct. 19. It led many to believe Son’s career may be over, considering his track record as a poor defender and declining bat-to-ball skills.

However, the Dinos still saw value in Son to give him a new contract.

“Son Ah-seop is a battle-tested player who will bring some diversity to our lineup built mostly on right-handed bats,” Dinos general manager Lim Sun-nam said. “We also hope he will have a positive influence in the clubhouse with his experience and know-how.”

The Dinos said Son is scheduled to join the club during offseason training in January.

Son currently sits behind Choi Hyoung-woo of the Samsung Lions, who has 2,734 hits, and Kim Hyun-soo of the KT Wiz, who owns 2,691 hits, on the all-time list.

Former LG Twins player Park Yong-taik previously owned the hits record with 2,504, and Son became the first player to surpass that mark in June 2024.

Son remained the career leader in hits entering this season, but Choi passed him in May and Kim did the same in August.