Quietly giving up the FA rights, Lee Yong-gyu who is turning 40...What will happen with Kiwoom

Nov 08, 2024

Sportschosun DB

"He's a player who dedicated himself to me. Of course I'll go with you."

These days, players who have qualified as FA are in the spotlight.

But there are players who are lonely right now. In particular, they are players who have qualified as FA but have not been able to apply.

There are many stories. There are players who are sluggish just before the FA, and will choose a season 'Jae-soo' to achieve a better performance and aim for a big hit again. Or I applied for FA prematurely Some people seek to continue their careers on a single-year contract without applying for an FA if they are on the verge of becoming a `Mia' due to hateful hair on the club. It is a case of being cool-headed and grasping the reality of the league.

It is also common for veteran players not to apply for FA. Lee Yong-gyu is one of them. A star player who had a brilliant heyday and once won a 6.7 billion won contract. But he will be 40 next year. You're not old enough to go after the jackpot. It's great to have been a player so far.

He played only 60 games this season. He's giving young players a chance. Still, when the team was in trouble, he came to the first team and played well. The unique contact ability has come to life. a batting average of .36. He also hit one home run. It was painful to get a toe fracture while playing well in the first team in August. During the outfield defense, foreign player Dawson was seriously injured when he collided with him, and he was seriously hurt before he could wash away the pain. However, considering that the 2022 and 2023 seasons were extremely sluggish, the 2024 season was a season that expressed hope.

Sportschosun DB

Then, what is the future of Lee Yong-gyu who failed to apply for the FA. Kiwoom's general manager Ko Hyung-wook said, `If it wasn't for the injury, I would have continued to play well. He is a player who has devoted himself to the team. Our club does not neglect the courtesy of veteran players," he said, expressing his intention to continue accompanying Lee Yong-kyu.

Regarding the FA, General Manager Ko said, "Neither the club nor the player moved on quietly without saying anything," indicating that the club did not express any intention at the player's judgment.

Lee's annual salary this year was 200 million won. "In the case of annual salary, it will be determined according to the club's performance system," Ko said in principle. It was Lee Yong-kyu, whose annual salary fell to 200 million won due to sluggish performance in the past two seasons, and from the records, it may be inevitable to adjust the salary.

Sportschosun DB

Lee Yong-kyu, who had 2,100 hits early this season, said his last goal in his professional career was 2,000 games and 400 steals. Participation in the game has already achieved its goal with 2021 matches. There are four steals left. He has a total of 396 steals. If you prepare well for the season in good health, you can also set this goal. If that happens, he could make his name as the second player to record 2,000 games-2000 hits-400 steals after Jeon Joon-ho in 'Daedo'.

awesome@sportschosun.com