'Was it a false rumor' There was nothing in the end of the big trade, the transfer window closed

Aug 01, 2024

Fans visiting the baseball stadium are watching the game between Lotte and LG held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 16th. The game was sold out as the crowd was full. Jamsil= Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2024.06.16/

There was no "Big Deal" in the end. The transfer market ended without any trade agreement.

At 11:59 p.m. on July 31, the deadline for the KBO League trade in the 2024 season ended. There have been many rumors and stories long before the end, but none have been finalized in the end.

The key was Kiwoom Heroes closer Cho Sang-woo's future. Rumors have emerged that several clubs are interested in recruiting Cho Sang-woo and are negotiating trade terms with Kiwoom. There are more exaggerated parts than they actually are, and it is also true that there were clubs that showed interest. Cho Sang-woo is expected to become an FA after the end of next season, and in any league, it is not uncommon to find cases in which a big fish player is traded in the season ahead of the FA. This is especially true if the team is rebuilding.

A game between the Kiwoom Heroes and the Hanwha Eagles at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 11th. Kiwoom Cho Sang-woo is pitching hard. Gocheok = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.07.11/

It's very common in Major League Baseball, and the trade market is very active. Of course, this is different from the KBO League, where the environmental requirements of the remaining nine clubs are leveled except Kiwoom, which has relatively special characteristics. In the Major League, 'Big Market' and 'Small Market' are clearly distinguished, and each club has distinctly different goals and directions for the season, so active trade is possible.

However, the atmosphere changed again as Cho Sang-woo was on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation on the 16th. In the end, no trade was made, leaving only a lot of rumors and speculation.

There are many trades that have been discussed so far. I matched several cards for each team. There are many cases of verbal discussions among the working-level staff, and there are cases in which discussions have been completed on the spot to some extent, but there are cases in which the meeting was canceled due to opposition from the front. In addition, even if you want to put up a prospect of 'Antrojin' as a trade item, there are many cases where you can't reach a conclusion because you don't have to match the card with the opponent.

A game between the Kiwoom Heroes and the NC Dinos at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 30th. NC Kim Hwi-jip is catching his breath. Gocheok = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.07.30/

Some people want to revitalize trade like Major League Baseball and change the overall atmosphere of the market with large-scale trade that includes 'S-class' players, but it is also true that the club feels burdened. Since the market itself is small, each trade result is evaluated immediately, and if it fails, criticism is poured out. It should also take into account the headwinds if only the opposing team succeeds. This is why it is burdensome to move without hesitation.

As a result, there are a total of three trades this season, excluding the cases of Lee Ji-young and Kim Min-sung, who are in the form of FA sign-and-trade. On March 30, the LG Twins gave up Son Ho-young and made a one-on-one trade in exchange for Lotte Giants Woo Kang-hoon, and on May 28, KT Wiz and Samsung Lions made a trade to exchange Park Byung-ho and Oh Jae-il, who are the same age. On May 30, Kiwoom sent Kim Hui-jip to the NC Dinos and made a trade to receive two first- and third-round draft picks from NC.

youll@sportschosun.com

'Was it a false rumor' There was nothing in the end of the big trade, the transfer window closed

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