At once, the alternative foreigners ranked 0th with 3063 home runs were solved...Tess-hyung, who broke up with KIA, will he try to re-enter the KBO
Dec 26, 2024
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KIA announced on the 26th that it has recruited new foreign batter Patrick Wisdom (33) for a total of 1 million dollars (about 1.4 billion won). After winning the integrated championship this year, KIA looked for a foreign hitter with home run production capabilities. Wisdom, a right-handed slugger, is expected to add weight by balancing left-handed hitters Na Sung-bum (35) and Choi Hyung-woo (41). As a batter boasting 88 home runs in the Major League, 'If you get caught, you'll fall over' is enough to put pressure on the opponent's battery.
The recruitment of Wisdom meant breaking up with Socrates. Socrates batted .310 (171 for 552) with 26 home runs, 97 RBIs and an OPS of .875 in 140 games this year. It was enough to expect a renewal, and there was no reason to change as KIA won the integrated championship this year.
Socrates accompanied KIA for three seasons from 2022 to this year, recording a total of 409 games, a batting average of 0.302 (487 hits in 1,613 at-bats), 63 home runs and 270 RBIs. He was always consistent at bat, and he got along well with his KIA teammates, so there was no problem with teamwork. This is why KIA included Socrates on the list of pending players and submitted it to KBO after this season.
However, as the contract with Wisdom became possible, he had no choice but to give up Socrates. KIA general manager Shim Jae-hak said, `When I signed Socrates last year, I thought the batting speed was a little better in the second season than in the first season. Socrates' batting direction had a strong tendency to pull, but it was expected that the possibility of hitting left-handed pitchers also increased due to restrictions on defensive shifts. He also showed very weak performance in left-handed pitchers' sliders, and he thought it would be okay until this season to overcome them little by little. This year, classic statistics such as batting average and number of home runs were good. However, he was a really good player, but he needed a more powerful foreign hitter, as there were some indicators that were falling a little bit in the detailed stat, and the record showed that the defense was falling a little bit in the radius of action" he said.
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After KIA, all 10 clubs have completed the formation of foreign players, making it difficult for Socrates to immediately pursue contracts with domestic clubs. Instead, if a foreign hitter is sluggish or injured while preparing for the next season or in the process of playing the season, the possibility of wanting Socrates as the 0th alternative player has increased. Next year, he is not that old at 33 years old, and he is a player who has been proven in the KBO League, so everyone wants it.
Now, it is too late for Socrates to seek a return to the U.S. Major League. Socrates made his big league debut for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2015, and last got a chance to play in the big league with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2019. He is not a notable player in the U.S., as he hit only 0.179 (37 hits in 207 at-bats), five home runs and 18 RBIs in 99 games in the Major League.
Socrates is expected to continue his career for now by looking into U.S. minor league contracts or other overseas leagues. Then, the probability of returning to the team where the love call comes first in KBO seems high right now.
KIA fans showed great affection for Socrates, calling him `Teshyeong' Some say that they can no longer hear Socrates' impressive cheering song with trumpet sounds. If Socrates succeeds in signing an alternative foreign contract next season, we are already curious about how the unfamiliar scenery of him going through the KBO League wearing team uniforms other than KIA will come to fans.
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rina1130@sportschosun.com
