Middle infielder Dixon Machado has agreed to a deal with Korea’s Lotte Giants, according to Emily Waldon of The Athletic (via Twitter). He’ll earn a $300K salary with a $200K signing bonus and a $100K option, Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net tweets.
The 27-year-old Machado, a long-time Tigers farmhand, spent the 2019 season with the Cubs organization. In 393 plate appearances, he turned in a .261/.371/.480 triple-slash with 17 home runs.
Even in the context of a Triple-A-wide home run surge, that was an eye-popping power jump for a player that had never before hit more than six long balls in a professional campaign. KBO’s Giants will hope that he can continue to drive the ball after crossing the Pacific.
For Machado, who became a minor-league free agent at season’s end, this is an opportunity to secure significant earnings and reestablish himself in a country’s top league. He has had his chances in the big leagues, but struggled to gain traction. In 505 total MLB plate appearances over parts of four seasons, Machado mustered only a .227/.285/.295 batting line.