Lotte avoided luxury tax by a difference of 276 million won...Rehabilitation → 8 billion catchers who lost a lot, should be different next year

Dec 20, 2024

Lotte Giants Yoo Kang-nam is having an unusually heated winter.

The FA down payment of 8 billion won for four years and an annual salary was a pride that recognized Yoo Kang-nam's value. However, following the poor hitting, there was a problem with the durability called the 'Geumgang Bulgo' and eventually the season was out in June this year, and the pride was also cracked.

Lotte spent 13 billion won to fill the two weaknesses of catcher and shortstop, but failed to fill both places as a result. Unlike Han Hyun-hee of the so-called 17 billion trio, who tried to go back and forth between the starting pitcher and the bullpen, Yoo Kang-nam and Noh Jin-hyuk did not show any special value in the team.

While Roh Jin-hyuk is in an endless slump, Yoo Kang-nam had a problem on a business trip to the game, which was called his biggest advantage. He complained of chronic knee pain from the first year of wearing Lotte's uniform, and eventually faced the disgrace of a season out this year, which was his second season.

Lotte, which lost Yoo Kang-nam, had to play a difficult season with rookie catchers such as Information Geun, Son Sung-bin and Seo Dong-wook. Yoo Kang-nam's presence in Lotte's home turf is absolute. Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung missed Yoo Kang-nam's skill and game management throughout the second half of the year.

Yu Kangnam-Kim Won-joong Sports Chosun DB

Yoo Kang-nam is preparing to return to spring camp next season after knee surgery in June. In particular, it is rumored that he is focusing on exercising with his unrecognizable physique by reducing the storm this winter.

For Lotte, it is not easy to strengthen additional power. Lotte's salary cap is literally up to 'neck'.

The total amount of the top 40 players in each club's annual salary, or the upper limit of next year's competitive equal tax (salary cap), released by KBO on the 18th, is 11.4 billion 2,638 people.

Among the 10 clubs, the only team that exceeded the upper limit is the LG Twins. LG exceeded 2.4 billion won to 13.85616 billion won, and paid 1.21489 million won, or 50% of the amount, to the Baseball Development Fund. If it exceeds for two consecutive years, it faces a nine-step drop in the first round of nominations along with 100% of the excess. LG is now in a position to save about 2.4 billion won in annual salary within this year.

Lotte's total annual salary is 11.85 billion won, ranking fifth overall. Starting with No. 1 LG, No. 2 KIA Tigers, No. 3 Doosan Bears, and No. 4 Samsung Lions are regular fall baseball players or teams that have recently experienced the Korean Series.

On the other hand, Lotte is a team whose fall baseball has been frustrated for the last seven consecutive years. Considering that Kim Won-joong's annual salary (5.4 billion won for four years) or Koo Seung-min's (2.1 billion won for two years) was relatively reasonable in market conditions, the unreasonable investment of the 17 billion trio ahead of them failed, which seems to be revealed only as a salary burden, not a grade.

유강남-나승엽. Sports Chosun DB

Lotte barely managed to overcome the upper limit by a difference of 276.2 million won. However, considering that the annual salary is 50 million won to 100 million won when recruiting a player, it was not easy to recruit a player who was released, let alone a C-class FA. The team, which ranked seventh this year, was unable to even strengthen its power properly with its hands tied.

In the end, we have no choice but to urge existing players to work harder. Lotte has seen the growth of new and mid-sized hitters such as Yoon Dong-hee, Ko Seung-min, Na Seung-yeop, Hwang Sung-bin, and Son Ho-young this year. Only when they maintain their growth and players who have been sluggish like Yoo Kang-nam and Noh Jin-hyuk recover their skills can they dream of autumn baseball.

lunarfly@sportschosun.com