The NC Dinos shockingly placed star power-hitter Matt Davidson on waivers on June 27, and the Kiwoom Heroes acted quickly to acquire him.
?BREAKING
Former Home Run King ‘Davidson’ heads to the Kiwoom Heroes!
The Heroes had the #1 waiver claim spot, and are electing to be the only team to go with a 2 foreign batter system via the standard foreign system (non AQS) pic.twitter.com/VAIOcAzsgN
— KBO in English (@KBO_ENG) June 29, 2026
Davidson led the KBO in home runs in 2024, hitting 46 long balls. He also had the third-best OPS in the league that season. He followed it up with a 36-home run season in 2025, but apparently it was not good enough to keep his spot this season.
What makes his being placed on waivers truly remarkable is that he was still an above-average hitter this season. His power numbers were down, with just eight home runs in 63 games, but he had a .290 batting average, 40 RBIs, and an .826 OPS.
He had a top-20 OPS in the league. However, the Dinos are four games below .500, and something needed to change.
One team’s loss is another team’s gain. The last-place Heroes quickly jumped on Davidson, even though he was not in their plans.
“We had no plans to sign him until he was released,” manager Seol Jong-jin told “The Chosun Daily.” “We were planning to watch Nathan Whitsell’s scheduled appearance on the 28th and give him another chance to pitch around four innings to assess his condition. Even if we replaced Whitsell, we had not decided whether to sign a pitcher or a hitter. After hearing about Davidson’s release, we moved quickly. It was true that we had doubts about Whitsell’s future condition even while watching his Futures game. We concluded that replacing him with Davidson immediately was the best decision.”
It seems like the Heroes were just as shocked by Davidson’s release as the fans. His last game with the Dinos came against the Heroes, and it was an emotional scene. Davidson, his teammates, and fans were all emotional as he took the field for the last time in a Dinos uniform.
“Today, my heart was heavy from the start,” Davidson said in a postgame interview, per “StarNews.” “When I arrived at the stadium, I realized it might really be the last time with teammates I’ve grown so close to over nearly three years. It was hard to hold back the tears.”
Wow, everyone is crying, you can just see how great of a player and teammate Davidson is
In my opinion, he shouldn’t have been placed on waivers…
Davidson is leaving the Dinos batting 13 for his last 24 (.542 BA)
Why now?… pic.twitter.com/fjDK8YN1xg
— KBO in English (@KBO_ENG) June 26, 2026
“We didn’t exchange any special words,” he added when asked about a moment he shared with Park Kun-woo. “I spent a very long time with many veteran players, including Park Kun-woo and Park Min-woo, sharing joys and sorrows together. Seeing them cry, I felt that no other words were necessary. Just seeing everyone cry was a moment filled with mixed emotions.”
The timing of the move seems questionable. The Dinos are just two games out of a postseason spot, and Davidson seems like a player who can certainly help them. However, they explained the move by citing his dip in power.
“We decided to make a player change after comprehensively reviewing power management for the 2026 season and strengthening competitiveness in the second half,” the Dinos said in a statement per “Dailian Korea.”
Now with an exciting star in Davidson in Kiwoom, the Heroes will try to salvage the rest of this season and generate excitement with offensive firepower as they look to 2027.
WBN KBO: https://worldbaseball.com/league/south-korea/korea-baseball-organization/
Photo: @KBO_ENG on X.com
