'My pride crumpled in PS, but...' FA's top two picks. Will the ransom have dropped?
Oct 21, 2024
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KT Wiz's Um Sang-baek (28) and LG Twins' Choi Won-tae (27) will find a new team with freedom after the Korean Series between Samsung and KIA ends. Among the preliminary FA, it is considered the biggest fish as a starting pitcher.
The FA grade can be accurately known only when the KBO makes a public announcement, but Choi Won-tae, who has an annual salary of 400 million won, is known to be A grade and Um Sang-baek, who has 250 million won, is known to be B grade.
Um Sang-baek and Choi Won-tae dropped their heads in the postseason, which was an opportunity to raise the ransom further.
Um Sang-baek started in Game 2 and Game 5 in the semi-playoff against LG, all of which became losing pitchers. In the second game, he allowed only four runs with six hits and two walks in four innings, and in the fifth game, he collapsed with four hits, two strikeouts and three runs (two earned runs) in two innings.
Choi Won-tae also suffered only a big blow to his pride this postseason. Choi Won-tae, who was humiliated by being replaced without even one inning in the second game of the Korean Series last year, was expected to be different this time, but he was not able to lead the team.
Choi Won-tae, who had five hits, one walk, four strikeouts and three runs (two earned) in two ⅔ innings in Game 3 of the semi-playoff against KT, became a losing pitcher with seven hits (two homers) and three strikeouts and five runs in three innings in Game 1 of the playoffs against Samsung.
Some say that the two may be losing popularity in the FA market due to the sluggish postseason. However, if the team needs to be selected to strengthen its power, we cannot help but pay attention to the two.
Um Sang-baek tied for third with multiple wins with 13 wins and 10 losses and a 4.88 ERA in 29 games this season. He pitched 156 ⅔ innings, ranking seventh among Korean pitchers. He ranked sixth overall with 159 strikeouts and first among Korean pitchers.
Choi Won-tae also pitched 126 ⅔ innings in 24 games due to injury, recording 9 wins, 7 losses and a 4.26 ERA. He ranked 11th in the number of innings. Although he failed to meet the required innings, he ranked 6th in ERA among Korean pitchers.
Both have been good in their performances over the past three years.
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Choi Won-tae also played 379 innings in 76 games, recording 25 wins and 19 losses with a 4.13 ERA and 284 strikeouts. He was eighth in multiple wins, 10th in ERA, and 11th in innings among domestic pitchers.
Right now, they have a solid position in their original club. Um Sang-baek held out quite a lot of KT's mound, which fell to last place this year and even Ko Young-pyo was injured, so KT was able to set up the first wild card game after a fight for fifth place.
It is also not easy for LG to fill the gap if Choi Won-tae is out. LG, whose bullpen was unstable this year, has led the season with starting baseball and Choi Won-tae played that role. Choi Won-tae tried to fill it when he was out for about a month due to injury, but he had to fill it with bullpen day because he did not have a good starting sense to raise in the second division.
Um Sang-baek and Choi Won-tae lost their pride in the postseason, but their performances in the regular season remain a record. It is essential for a starting pitcher to throw consistently. Baseball is a pitcher's play, and among them, selection is important. When the FA market opens, baseball fans may be surprised at the amount of contracts that are different from the current view.
indyk@sportschosun.com
