A player who once contemplated going to South Korea has signed three major league extensions. Max Muncy, 33, who had nowhere to go after being released, has turned his life around with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers signed the infielder to a two-year, $24 million extension on Wednesday. The Dodgers, who originally held a $14 million club option for Muncy for next year, had five days after the World Series to decide whether to exercise it.

The $5 million signing bonus will pay him $7 million in 2024 and $12 million in 2025. It also includes a $10 million club option for 2026 and incentives based on plate appearances.

This is Muncy’s third extension with the Dodgers. He first signed a three-year, $26 million deal with the Dodgers in February 2020. He signed a second one-year, $13.5 million extension last August, and this third extension will keep him with the Dodgers through 2025.

It’s not a huge contract, and it’s more of a club-friendly deal, but the three extensions have made Muncy a lot of money. While he hasn’t earned all of his salary due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Muncy’s total salary and signing bonus for the six years from 2020-2025 is approximately $61.37 million. That’s about $806 million in Korean won.

Muncy, a right-handed hitting slugger who debuted with the Oakland Athletics in 2015, struggled in 2016, hitting just 1-for-9 with five doubles, five home runs and 17 RBIs with a .611 OPS in 96 games over two years. In 2017, he struggled in exhibition games and was designated for assignment by Oakland in late March before the season began.

For the next month, Muncy was invisible. He wondered if he should go to South Korea, Japan, or the American independent leagues. At worst, he thought about retiring, but in late April, he was contacted by the Dodgers and signed a minor league contract. He stayed in Triple-A for the rest of the year, but in 2018, he broke out in the big leagues and realized his potential.

He hit 35 home runs in back-to-back seasons in 2018 and 2019, and was a member of the Dodgers’ World Series championship team in 2020. He hit a career-high 36 homers in 2021 and again this year. In his six-year career with the Dodgers, he batted .253 with 582 doubles, 175 home runs, 472 RBIs, and an .842 OPS in 751 games. He was a two-time All-Star and received MVP votes three times. In 2021, he finished 10th in the National League MVP voting. 보스토토 주소

A low-batting average, high-strikeout type of player, Muncy used his power to his advantage to produce consistent offensive production. After playing primarily first and second base, Muncy was moved to third base this year and struggled defensively, but he still managed to hit, batting .211 (102-for-482) with 36 home runs, 105 RBI, and an .808 OPS in 135 games. Both home runs and RBIs were career highs.

Despite being in his mid-30s, the Dodgers appreciated Muncy’s steadiness and work ethic, and made the first move of the offseason by giving him a three-year extension. It’s quite the turnaround for Muncy, who was contemplating a move to Korea in the spring of 2017.