I caught two FA to regain the championship, but I finished it off, and barely made up for the set-up man's injury. Cho Sang-woo+ KIA, Choi Won-tae, Furado+ Samsung, etc.
Dec 25, 2024
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For LG, reinforcing the bullpen, which has been difficult this season, was the top priority. As Ham Deok-ju underwent surgery and took more than six months to return, reinforcement of the bullpen was essential.
So, he succeeded in recruiting Kia's middle pitcher Jang Hyun-sik, not Choi Won-tae, who came out as an internal FA, on the condition of a full four-year guarantee of 5.2 billion won. Three must-win groups, including closer Yoo Young-chan and setup man Jang Hyun-sik and Kim Jin-sung, were built and prospects were added to this to rebuild the 'Bee Mound' when winning in 2023.
However, an elbow injury was found in a medical check after closer Yoo Young-chan played in the Premier 12 tournament. At least three months of rehabilitation are required due to a microfracture of the parietal bone. After his return, he underwent surgery to remove the pelvic bone of the elbow to prevent further development. First of all, it's three months, but you don't know when a microfracture will stick, so you have to prepare.
After recruiting Jang Hyun-sik, LG effectively stepped out of the FA market, but came back with the news of Yoo Young-chan's injury and brought veteran FA Kim Kang-ryul for a total of 1.4 billion won for 3+1 years. And veteran sidearm Shim Chang-min, who was released from NC, also strengthened the bullpen. Starter Choi Won-tae left for Samsung and appointed left-handed Choi Chae-heung as a compensation player to reinforce the left-handed bullpen.
At the end of next season, Jang Hyun-sik should be selected and Kim Jin-sung and Kim Kang-ryul should form a must-win group with the rest of the pitchers. We need to create a must-win group that will last the early part of the season through spring camps and exhibition games.
LG's goal for the 2025 season is to win the championship. In order to win the championship, we need to create a power to compete with this year's winning KIA Tigers and the runner-up Samsung Lions. He gave up the stable fifth starter and started to strengthen the bullpen, but he is in a hurry to fill his power due to an unexpected injury, which is a great regret. However, it can be said that KIA and Samsung have increased their power.
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Samsung failed to strengthen its bullpen, but by strengthening its starters, it can also strengthen its bullpen. Samsung re-signed Reyes but parted ways with Connor, who won 11 games. Instead, he signed with Furado from Kiwoom to fill the gap in the corner. Connor pitched 160 innings in 28 games this year and posted an 11-6 record with a 3.43 ERA, while Furado played 190 ⅓ innings in 30 games for Kiwoom with a 10-8 record with a 3.36 ERA. Corner recorded 13 quality starts, while Hurado recorded as many as 23 times, which could add to the stability of the starter. On top of that, Choi Won-tae has been recruited to manage the stable fourth starter of Reyes, Furado, Won Tae-in and Choi Won-tae. If only five starters are found, the rest can be turned to the bullpen, which will increase bullpen resources.
The results will not be known until the season opens on March 22 next year. The key is how well the power is run through spring camps and exhibition games. If Lee Jung-yong returns from Sangmu and Yoo Young-chan, who was injured, will have a much better chance to hit the stage if he stays in the upper ranks well in the early stages.
indyk@sportschosun.com
