KIA Tigers pitcher Lim Ki-young showed a remarkable turnaround with his career high achievement in the first season of full-time bullpen conversion. Lim Ki-young, an all-weather sidearm that can be a starter and a bullpen, is expected to be a quasi-class reserve FA in 2025. This is because some predict that the FA grade could be B grade.
Lim has consistently observed the team’s starting rotation in recent years. However, Lim has turned into an all-weather bullpen in the 2023 season. Running as a bullpen, not a starter, can be dissatisfied with pitchers. However, Lim viewed the bullpen as an opportunity to increase his value. 랭크카지노주소
“I thought if I could show that I am a starting pitcher and a bullpen pitcher while pitching at the end of the 2022 season, I would be recognized for my value,” Lim said. “So, I didn’t feel bad about starting the 2023 season as a bullpen. I prepared well for the season just like I did when I was a starting pitcher.”
The result was “super awesome.” Lim pitched in 64 games (82 innings) in the 2023 season, recording four wins, four losses, three saves, 16 holds with an earned run average of 2.96 57 strikeouts, 19 walks and a WHIP of 0.91. Lim played 80 innings in the bullpen in the 2023 season along with Noh Kyung-eun (SSG Landers, 83 innings). Lim’s relief WAR level was 2.19, ranking ninth in the league. Lim has stood out as an indispensable figure in the team’s bullpen, not only playing the role of a long relief pitcher but also as a pursuit team and a must-win team in the lead-up situation.
Lim received an annual salary of 150 million won for the 2023 season. Lim’s annual salary in the 2024 season is expected to rise vertically to 200 million won. It is reported that Lim already signed his salary for the 2024 season early on. The signing was made immediately without much push and pull on the team’s proposal.
Lim will also be able to acquire his first career FA qualification after the end of the 2024 season. As Lim has proved both his role as a starter and bullpen in the first division, it can be an attractive pitcher in the FA market.
Above all, attention is also paid to Lim’s FA grade. According to MK Sports coverage, Lim is likely to receive a B grade depending on his salary in the 2024 season. If the B grade has a lower compensation grade than A grade, the value of Lim Ki-young in the FA market is expected to rise further.
A baseball official said, “I played many innings as a bullpen in the 2023 season, but I heard that Lim Ki-young’s arm condition is not problematic at all in the offseason. He proved himself to be a resource that has a relatively low-load pitching style and can play both the starting and bullpen roles in the first division. If he gets a B grade, he will definitely be an attractive option in the FA market a year later.”
Lim is expected to take various positions in the team’s bullpen in the 2024 season. Most of all, he has a strong sense of responsibility as a breadwinner last year. I wonder what kind of performance Lim Ki-young, who is equipped with “FAroid” as well as “pollution buff,” will show in the 2024 season.
