"'At the age of 40, he signed a 700 million contract, writing a new history in the KBO.' Behind the scenes of Woo Kyu-min's first FA contract "The reason why I applied for the third FA is because"
Nov 06, 2024
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Choi Jung (SSG) was not the protagonist of the first FA contract in the 2025 season. The `surprise hero' was Woo Kyu-min (KT).
KT Wiz announced the news of the first FA contract on the 6th, the start of official negotiations with FA players. It has officially announced that it has signed a two-year contract with veteran submarine pitcher Woo Kyu-min for a total of 700 million won (down payment of 200 million won, annual salary of 200 million won, option 100 million won).
Before the opening of the FA market, Choi Jeong's 「FA announcement reservation」, which had already been agreed upon, was pushed to the afternoon of the 6th, so Woo Kyu-min, who announced the contract earlier, was able to become the hero of the first contract.
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Woo Kyu-min, who played seven seasons for Samsung, joined KT through the second draft ahead of this season. He showed compliance with 45 games with KT this season with 4 wins, 1 loss, 4 holds, 1 save, and an ERA of 2.49. It was not a powerful pitch or overwhelming game, but it did its part in the middle when the team needed it. In particular, he played a big role as a pitcher leader in the dugout. In the postseason, even at the age of 40, he became a model by cheering for his juniors because his voice was weak. KT recognized the value of Woo Kyu-min and paved the way for him to play as a player for two more years.
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In fact, players who are old or have an ambiguous position give up their FA applications on their own. There is no place to go, but I am worried that the original fastball team could have 'hate hair' after applying for FA. But why did Woo Kyu-min confidently apply for FA.
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On the last day of 2020, when the first FA contract ended, Woo Kyu-min signed a second FA contract with Samsung for a total of 1 billion won per year. And this is the third FA. It is not easy for pitchers to sign a three-time FA contract. This is because as you get older, your restraint decreases, and you get abnormalities in your shoulders or elbows. It is harder to play baseball than fielders. There are also many seasons off due to surgery. As a result, the fielders were mainly honored with '3 FA glory'. Jo In-sung, Jung Sung-hoon, Lee Jin-young, Park Yong-taek, Kang Min-ho, and Choi Jung are the main characters.
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Woo Kyu-min has never made the Korean Series stage since joining the professional league in 2003. The title of a player who has not been able to reach the Korean Series for the longest period among active players will be extended. So the goal is "To advance to and win the Korean Series unconditionally within two years."
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