The Kia Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization have confirmed the four foreign players who will join their team for the 2026 season (h/t to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO). The foursome includes right-hander James Naile, who is entering his third year with the Tigers and whose signing was announced last month; right-hander Adam Oller, who re-signed for a second year with the club; infielder Jarryd Dale, a former Padres prospect and Australian Baseball League player who spent 2025 with NPB’s Orix Buffaloes; and utility player Harold Castro, a six-year MLB veteran who is heading overseas for the first time in his career.
Castro, a client of the MAS+ Agency, spent more than a decade in the Detroit Tigers organization. He signed in 2010 as an international free agent out of Venezuela, and eight years later, he made his big league debut at Comerica Park. Over parts of five seasons with MLB’s Tigers, he played in 351 games, appearing at every position except catcher. His .286 batting average was impressive, and his defensive versatility was valuable, but that was about all he contributed. He didn’t hit for power, he rarely walked, and his defense graded out poorly (albeit in small samples) wherever he played.
Detroit non-tendered Castro after the 2022 season, and he signed a minor league deal with the Rockies. The utility man cracked Colorado’s roster out of camp and stuck around all season, though he struggled to hit even at Coors Field. Finishing with a .589 OPS and 45 wRC+, Castro produced a -1.5 FanGraphs WAR, third-last among all MLB players in 2023.
The Rockies cut Castro soon after the season ended, and he would eventually sign with the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. He hit well with the Toros in 2024 and even better for Leones del Caracas of the Venezuelan Winter League the following offseason, enough so that he landed a minor league offer from the Royals for the 2025 campaign. Despite Castro’s best efforts at Triple-A – 21 home runs, a .307 batting average, and a 129 wRC+ in 99 contests – he never got the call to the majors. Yet, he clearly impressed the Kia Tigers, who signed the 32-year-old to a contract worth $1MM USD for 2026. He replaces Patrick Wisdom on their roster, who was no slouch in his first KBO season, hitting 35 home runs with a 126 wRC+.
Enjoy your free Kia Optima Harold!
Hitting’ Harold back with the Tigers 😉 Good luck to him over there.
He was clutch back in the day, as long as you only needed a single!
And didn’t mind the poor defense.