KBO’s Hanwha Eagles Sign Troy Watson

The Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization have signed right-hander Troy Watson to a one-year deal for the 2027 season, according to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO. Watson earns a $300K signing bonus and a $700K salary with his new club. Watson, 29, was a late-round pick by the Blue Jays back in 2018. He worked his way through their system for the next few years, reaching Triple-A in 2023 and sticking at that level the following year. In August 2024, Toronto sent Watson to the Tigers for cash, and he would spend most of the next two calendar years in their system. Detroit designated him for assignment this past August, at which point he got claimed off waivers by the Mariners. Watson elected minor league free agency in lieu of accepting an outright assignment earlier this month. Watson struggled badly in his first extended run at Triple-A back in 2024. He fared much better in the next two years, posting a 3.12 earned run average in ten starts for the Toledo Mud Hens in 2025, then a 3.47 ERA in 70 innings for the Mud Hens and Seattle’s Tacoma affiliate this year. Watson sits in the low-to-mid 90s with his four-seamer and mixes in a slider, cutter, sinker, and the occasional changeup. In the last three years, he’s had decent walk rates but inconsistent strikeout and ground ball metrics. The Tigers added Watson to their 40-man roster back in July to keep him from going overseas. He was immediately optioned and only lasted a few weeks before the aforementioned DFA, so he’s yet to make his major league debut. For now, Watson will head overseas and pocket a larger chunk of money than if he’d stuck around in affiliated ball. Depending on how he does in the KBO, perhaps he could return stateside a few years from now in a better position to land an MLB opportunity. View Comments (1)