The start of a full-fledged stove league is just around the corner. The FA market will open. The trio, who were in charge of the back door of the Lotte Giants, are qualified to declare FA.
KBO has announced a total of 30 players who are eligible for the 2025 FA. There are 13 new FA players, nine players who can acquire again, and eight players who maintain the qualification.
Three Lotte players are included. Lotte’s closing pitcher Kim Won-joong has 132 saves, Koo Seung-min has 121 holds, and Jin Hae-soo, who joined the team through a trade last winter, was used as a one-point reliever.
Both Kim Won-joong and Koo Seung-min, the first FA, are Grade A, and Jin Hae-soo, the second after 2019 (1.4 billion won in total per year), is Grade B.
In particular, attention is focusing on Kim Won-joong and Koo Seung-min, who have been in charge of Lotte’s backdoor for years, dubbed the “Guwon Duo.” Kim Won-joong received 500 million won (468,815 dollars) in salary this year, and Koo Seung-min received 450 million won (465,800 dollars). In order to recruit them, they must compensate one player in addition to the 20 protected players, 200 percent of this year’s salary, or 300 percent of their annual salary.
Kim Won-joong fell short of his career-high performance last year (5 wins, 6 losses, 30 saves, 2.97 ERA), but achieved stellar performance this year as well. He tied for fourth in the relief category (1st place KIA Jeong Hae-young 31 saves) along with Park Young-hyun (KT Wiz) with three wins, six losses and 25 saves and an ERA of 3.55.
A save is a record that is directly related to a team’s winnings. It is no coincidence that the top three relief pitchers in the league were the finishing pitcher for the Kia Tigers (Oh Seung-hwan) and the LG Twins (Yoo Young-chan). While these pitchers secured their back door well, they were given many chances. Considering this, it can be said that Kim Won-joong and Hanwha Eagles’ Joo Hyun-sang (23 saves) performed better.
However, it was also a season that left a painful memory for Kim Won-joong. Kim allowed as many as 10 runs (nine earned runs) during seven ⅓ innings in eight games during the month in July, with an ERA of 11.05. He pitched in situations where no save was recorded, and lost in five consecutive games (four runs, one win and four losses), respectively. Lotte, which had been on an upward trajectory until June amid the wobbly finish, collapsed to 6 wins and 14 losses in July, which eventually led to the fall of its baseball league.
The key is that there is currently no clear candidate in the Lotte pitching staff who can replace Kim Won-joong. When the team is not finished, setup man Koo Seung-min, who is the No. 1 replacement, will also qualify as an FA.
Choi Jun-yong, who was once in the spotlight as the next-generation finisher, underwent elbow surgery, and it is unclear whether he will perform well in the next season. It is also difficult for Kim Sang-soo and Han Hyun-hee, who handled the firm work this year, to wrap up the game.
It remains to be seen whether young guns such as Lee Min-seok, who are recognized for their ball power, will adapt well as finishing touches. Jeon, who was mentioned as a candidate for the Rookie of the Year award at the beginning of this season, could not overcome the pressure that came after his injury and took a break since mid-June.
For the same reason, if Koo Seung-min leaves as an FA, he will have to leave the group behind. However, the team is agonizing over its sluggish performance this season ahead of the FA season. Notably, the team collapsed by allowing as many as nine runs during two ⅔ innings in six games right after the opening of the season. It is regrettable that the team recorded five wins, three losses and 13 holds with an ERA of 4.84 in total. Indeed, fall baseball has failed.
As it is the first free agent, no matter how old you are, you will get a C grade regardless of your age. This year’s sluggish performance deserves to be seen a year from now, but given the market conditions and considerable age, now might be the right time.
Jinhae-do is a valuable left-hander for Lotte, as well as Kim Won-joong and Koo Seung-min. Chung Hyun-soo and Song Jae-young showed good performances at the end of the season, but the existence of experienced veterans like Jin Hae-soo is definitely worth it. 스포츠토토
However, the FA market does not know when and what variables will arise. There is always a team that wants to strengthen the bullpen. Last year, Samsung recruited two other team’s closing pitchers even though it had a closing pitcher.
Kim Won-joong has confirmed that he will remain in Busan when asked about the FA several times. However, the value that Kim Won-joong and his agent think and the Lotte club’s evaluation may be different.
FA is a player’s right. Professional baseball depends on players’ experience in playing in the first division and playing in the national team. It is a valuable right that you may only get once in your lifetime. Given Kim Won-joong’s presence and the fact that he has not signed a multi-year contract for non-FA, the FA declaration is highly likely.
This FA qualification player must apply for approval of the exercise of FA rights to the KBO by the 4th. KBO will announce the FA-approved player on the 5th, and negotiations with all 10 clubs will begin on the 6th, the next day.
It is the so-called “time of leadership.” Park Joon-hyuk, Lotte’s general manager, who showed his presence through free agency contracts with Jeon Joon-woo and trades with Jin Hae-soo and Son Ho-young right after his inauguration, will show his moves this winter.
