There were 3 players in 2021, but I wonder if the remaining 5 FA players will be signed on Christmas Eve.
Dec 24, 2024
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There are still five FA left in the market. Fifteen of the 20 signed the contract by staying or transferring, but five came until December 24, Christmas Eve.
As the end of the year approaches, players are bound to feel uneasy. It will soon be over to the new year, and next season's off-season training starts earlier than last time, so it will start around January 23rd and 24th. You may be under pressure to make a contract before the training camp.
In the past, there were FA who had a happy Christmas by signing a contract on Christmas Eve.
A year ago, on December 24, 2023, Ham Deok-ju signed a four-year total of 3.8 billion won to remain with LG. Although he failed to throw properly for two years due to injury, he succeeded in reviving last year, helped LG win the title for the first time in 29 years with a good performance of 4 wins, 4 saves, and 16 holds with an ERA of 1.62, and also succeeded in signing an FA contract.
In 2021, as many as three contracts were reported on Christmas Eve alone. Yang Hyun-jong, who decided to return from the United States, signed a four-year contract with the KIA Tigers for a total of 10.3 billion won, and Kang Min-ho also signed a four-year, 3.6 billion won contract with the Samsung Lions, his original team.
Son Ah-seop, who only played for the Lotte Giants, moved his team in the second FA. He signed a four-year total of 6.4 billion won with the NC Dinos right next to him.
On December 24, 2015, FA Kim Hyun-soo, who announced his overseas expansion, signed a two-year, $7 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles.
There are currently five remaining FA. In addition to the 25 protected players, there are two B-grade players who need to give compensation, including pitcher Lee Yong-chan (35) and infielder Ha Joo-seok (30), and three C-grade players who only need to pay compensation without compensation players are infielder Seo Geon-chang (35), pitcher Moon Sung-hyun (33), and outfielder Kim Sung-wook (31). All of them have played key roles in the team, so there will be teams needed depending on their positions, but there is no news yet.
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Ha Joo-seok is the youngest of the remaining FA at the age of 30. As Hanwha recruited Shim Woo-joon as shortstop, Ha Joo-seok's position, he could not play as a main player even if he remained at Hanwha. Of course, it is not easy to expect a high ransom because he is not the main player even if he remains in Hanwha. It's not easy to move because it's grade B. Due to the drunk driving disciplinary action, he played only 64 games in the second half and had a batting average of 292 (40 hits in 137 at-bats) with one home run and 11 RBIs. He was a prospect who was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in 2012, but he did not perform as well as expected.
Seo Geon-chang is a four-time FA student. After obtaining his first FA qualification after the 2021 season, he did not apply continuously, but revived at his hometown team, KIA, and even tasted the joy of winning, and confidently applied. Although he is not the main player, he has a batting average of 310 (63 hits in 203 at-bats) and 26 RBIs in 94 games.
Moon Sung-hyun had consistently played as a starter and bullpen for the Heroes. He pitched in 42 games this season, recording one win, two losses, three saves and two holds with an ERA of 6.57. Kim Sung-wook is a right-handed outfielder with long hitting power and has a batting average of 204 (73 hits in 358 at-bats) and 17 home runs and 60 RBIs in 129 games this year.
Will there be an FA who can have a happy Christmas among them.
indyk@sportschosun.com
