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| Coach Lee Ho-joon of NC Dinos is interviewing reporters at Changwon NC Park in Masanhoewon-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, on the afternoon of the 3rd. Yonhap News |
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| 이용찬. Sports Chosun DB |
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For now, he was excluded from the new season's coach's plan. I'm waiting for good news, but I haven't heard a definite story yet.
Veteran FA pitcher Lee Yong-chan has yet to sign a contract. Currently, there are five non-contractors remaining in the market, including Lee Yong-chan, Kim Sung-wook, Moon Sung-hyun, Seo Geon-chang, and Ha Joo-seok. They have opened a dialogue channel with their original team and are considering various methods such as signing and trading.
Lee Yong-chan's original team NC Dinos is waiting for an answer. Lee Yong-chan played as a Dinos closer for four seasons after signing an FA contract with NC ahead of the last 2021 season. He made 16 saves in the first season of the transfer, 22 saves, 29 saves, and 16 saves this year. Lee Yong-chan, who even wore the national flag as a member of the national team while regaining competitiveness in NC.
Lee Yong-chan's FA contract has not yet been signed, and even if he remains on the team, coach Lee Ho-joon weighed in on the possibility of Lee Yong-chan's return to the starting lineup. Even if Lee Yong-chan signs with NC, the probability of playing as a starter has increased rather than finishing. Therefore, coach Lee Ho-joon is also planning the mound in various ways for the new season.
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| 김시훈. Sports Chosun DB |
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For now, the number of candidates for the new closing pitcher has been narrowed down to three. When asked by reporters about the mound plan, head coach Lee Ho-joon laughed and said, "Are you not curious about the ending?" and said, "About three candidates are watching." he said. The nominees are Kim Jae-yeol, Ryu Jin-wook, and Kim Si-hoon. Kim Jae-yeol, who moved to NC at the end of 2023 through the second draft, emerged as a key bullpen with 12 holds last year. Ryu Jin-wook is also a key player in the right-handed bullpen, which has recorded double-digit holds for two consecutive years. Kim Si-hoon, who has plenty of bullpen experience for his age, also emerged as a strong candidate.
Director Lee Ho-joon said, `Kim Si-hoon was newly included as a closing candidate. Kim Si-hoon said very confidently that he would do really well if he could let me do it in the new year. 'You're also a candidate, so show me.'"Bae Jae-hwan and So Yi-hyun were also with me when I was at NC, and these pitchers can also be candidates."He put several players in the competition as candidates for the next closure and predicted that he would make a final decision after the camp.
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| Kim Jae-yeol.Sports Chosun DB |
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The results of negotiations with internal FA Lee Yong-chan and Kim Sung-wook are waiting. Manager Lee Ho-joon said, `I heard that the club is doing its best to talk. Now we have to wait. Players will need time to think, too. I think the contract hasn't been signed yet because it's not the condition you want. The club is also working hard, so I think good news will come soon", he carefully stated his position.
If both Lee Yong-chan and Kim Sung-wook remain, or at least one person remains, the coach's idea will change. Of course, from the perspective of the head coach, the more players there are, the better. In particular, if Lee Yong-chan, who has been in charge of the back door for the past four seasons, stays, we can't help but wonder how to use it.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
