Ha Joo-seok, would you have been able to go to KT if you didn't apply for FA...Behind the scenes of Hanwha'FA Compensation War'

Nov 19, 2024

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If Ha didn't apply for FA...

The transfer of FA and compensation players between Hanwha Eagles and KT Wiz has all been completed. KT named outfielder Jang Jin-hyuk as the compensation player for the second FA Um Sang-baek on the 18th.

As soon as the FA market opened, Hanwha recruited shortstop Shim Woo-joon and pitcher Um Sang-baek with aggressive investments. It spent 5 billion won on Shim Woo-joon and 7.8 billion won on Um Sang-baek. Both of them were FAB grade, so they had to give up compensation players, and KT chose pitcher Han Seung-joo as Shim Woo-joon's compensation player, followed by Jang Jin-hyuk as a new family member.

It was a fierce head fight. Hanwha had to figure out which position KT wanted and prevent the leakage as much as possible. KT had to name the best player in the team's history among the list of non-protected players it has received.

Everyone in the baseball world knew that KT needed infield resources, not just the two teams. There was no substitute for the shortstop position that Shim Woo-joon escaped immediately. There is veteran Kim Sang-soo, but he needed a player who needed to act as a backup for Kim Sang-soo right away and fill the position two to three years later. Oh Yoon-seok is also doing well on second base, but Shin Bon-ki, an infield multi-agent, retired and his defense was weakened. They are counting on new resources such as Yoon Joon-hyuk and Kwon Dong-jin.

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From KT's point of view, they were expecting infield resources such as Lee Do-yoon and Hwang Young-mook to come out. However, it is rumored that Hanwha, which saw through this, tied the infielders completely. That's why Jang Jin-hyuk, the main outfield player, was excluded from the 25-member protected list.

There is a player that comes to mind at this point. Ha Joo-seok. Shim Woo-jun disappeared as he came. If Shim Woo-joon becomes the main player, Lee Do-yoon and Hwang Young-mook backup system, they will inevitably be pushed back in the backup competition that is not the main player.

Still, a shortstop with his own career heard 'elementary and high school level'. If I went to KT, I think it would have been 'right'. The problem was the FA application.

Ha Joo-seok became the first FA in his career after this season. If it was a C grade, there could be demand, but it became a B grade. It's a situation where there's no team to give up a reward player and take him with money. In the meantime, Hanwha, the original team, recruited Shim Woo-joon and became 'Nakdong River duck egg'.

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If Ha Joo-seok had not applied for the FA after recognizing the reality, and had he been released from the Hanwha protected list, could his fate have changed. Players who apply for FA will be excluded from the list of eligible players for compensation. Therefore, KT could not pick Ha Joo-seok. Coach Lee Kang-chul, who met at the closing camp in Japan, said "If I had seen Ha Joo-seok's name, I would have thought a lot." "With shortstop resources scarce right now, any coach would have considered recruiting."

It is not possible for KT to bring Ha Joo-seok to the FA, and the only way left is 'sign and trade'. However, this is also a very difficult task for both clubs to negotiate, so it is unclear whether it will be done or not.

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