SAN DIEGO — Left-hander Kyle Hart is staying with the San Diego Padres, agreeing Monday to a one-year, $1.2 million contract that includes a club option for 2027.
Hart gets a $1 million salary for 2026, and the Padres have a $2.5 million option with a $200,000 buyout.
Hart, who turns 33 on Sunday, went 3-3 with a 5.86 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP in six starts and 14 relief appearances for the Padres this year. He began the season as the Padres’ No. 5 starter, spent time in the minors and returned to San Diego as an effective reliever down the stretch of the club’s 90-win season.
San Diego had declined a $5 million option with a $500,000 buyout for next season on Hart, who was selected the top pitcher in South Korea while pitching for NC Dinos in 2024.
Hart won the Choi Dong-won Award in the Korean Baseball Organization in 2024 after leading the league with 182 strikeouts. He was 13-3 with a 2.69 ERA in 26 starts, ranking second in the league for wins and ERA. He walked only 38 of his 631 batters over 158 innings.
A former 19th-round pick in the amateur draft, Hart had spent eight seasons mostly in the U.S. minor leagues, making his only previous major league appearances in 2020 with four games for the Boston Red Sox.
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