The hot winter is approaching.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced on Tuesday the list of players eligible for the 2025 FA. The total number of players is 30. Of these, only three are A-level players. B grade was the largest with 15, and 12 were also listed in C grade.
Teams that recruit players from other teams must pay compensation to their original teams in accordance with the FA grading system. If an A-rated player is brought in, the team must pay 200 percent of the player’s annual salary in 2024, 20 protected players, one compensation player, or 300 percent of the 2024 annual salary to the original team.
Grade B players are paid 100 percent of their 2024 salary, 25 protected players, and one compensated player, or 200 percent of their 2024 salary. For Grade C players, they only need to pay 150 percent of their 2024 salary without compensation players. As a result, it is relatively easy for B and C players to move.
Among Grade B players, starting pitcher Um Sang-baek (28) of KT Wiz is considered one of the biggest drafts. Um debuted as a professional baseball player in 2015 after receiving the first nomination from KT. He joined the Sangmu Baseball Organization after the end of the 2019 season. Returning to KT, he stood out as a starting pitcher starting in 2022. In that year, he played in 140 ⅓ innings with 11 wins, 2 losses and 2.95 ERA in 33 games. He also won the title with a winning rate of 0.846.
Last season, he recorded seven wins and six losses with an ERA of 3.63 in 111 ⅔ innings in 20 games. This year, he recorded 13 wins and 10 losses with an ERA of 4.88 in 156 ⅔ innings in 29 games. He met the regular innings for the first time since his debut and tied for third in the league with multiple wins.
Seo Jin-yong (32, SSG Landers) is also worth paying attention to. Seo made 42 saves (5 wins, 4 losses, 2.59 ERA) last year, making a name for himself. He acquired his first individual title since his debut in 2015. He became the king of saves. He posted an earned run average of 5.55 with one loss and six holds in 47 innings in 51 games this year. 메이저놀이터
Shim Woo-joon of KT and Ryu Ji-hyuk of the Samsung Lions stand out among infielders. Shim returned to the mound this year after being discharged from military service. As the main shortstop, he showed off his strong skills. Ryu is an infield all-around player. He has excellent performance and leadership in and out of the field.
At Grade C, Lee is drawing keen attention. He is infielder Choi Jeong (37) of SSG Landers. Choi Jeong, who acquired the first nomination by the SK Wyverns in 2005, has taken root as a franchise star of the team. He played in 2,293 games and posted a batting average of 0.288, 2269 hits, 495 homers, 1,561 RBIs, and 1,461 runs. Among all hitters in the KBO League, he is ranked first in homers, first in runs scored, second in RBIs, and sixth in hits.
He is in his late 30s, but still shows off his skills and performance. In 129 games this season, he showed off his batting average of 0.291 (136 hits in 468 times at bat), 37 homers, 107 RBIs and 93 runs, his slugging percentage of 0.594 and his on-base plus slugging percentage of 0.978. He ranked third in homers in the league.
SSG is trying to sign a “non-FA multi-year contract” before Choi Jung comes to the FA market. It is steadily meeting with Choi Jung and narrowing the distance.
Players who are eligible for FA status in 2025 must apply for approval to exercise their FA rights to the KBO by Nov. 4, two days after the announcement is made. On Nov. 5, the day after the deadline for filing an application, the KBO will announce the players who exercised their FA rights as FA-approved players. Approved players can negotiate for player contracts with all clubs (including overseas clubs) from Nov. 6, the day after the announcement. There is not much time left for SSG.
If SSG and Choi Jung fail to reach a multi-year non-FA contract because they cannot find an agreement in the details, Choi Jung will emerge as the biggest fish in the stove league at once. This is because it is the third FA right exercise, “C grade.” Therefore, the club that recruits Choi Jung will be able to hold a big third baseman without much bleeding if it pays only 1.5 billion won, or 150% of this year’s annual salary, without compensation players.
Attention is focused on who will finally come to the market and who will change the uniform.
