'5.2 billion must-win group + .300-63 home run foreigners break up.' KIA is too bold? Everything has a plan
'5.2 billion must-win group + .300-63 home run foreigners break up.' KIA is too bold? Everything has a plan
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"I think the highest power will be until next year."
The Kia Tigers had its best season this year by winning its 12th combined championship. Coach Lee Bum-ho, who took the helm during the spring camp, was recognized for his leadership by bringing the team to the top from his debut season, and the front desk, including general manager Shim Jae-hak, continued to provide strong support to the team by transfusing new foreigners into the air at a time when the team's strength was greatly hindered by the release of injury to foreign pitcher Will Crow, 30. Amid synergy between the front desk and the field, Kia was able to overwhelm the other nine teams.
Of course, Kia aims to win the title in the 2025 season. Shim Jae-hak, Kia's general manager, remains cool-headed and expects to maintain its maximum capacity through next year. Due to the aging of its key players, including Choi Hyung-woo (41), Yang Hyeon-jong (36), and Na Sung-beom (35). Therefore, the team has been exercising more diligently to strengthen its capability this winter. It renewed its contract with foreign ace James Nail for a total of 1.8 million U.S. dollars and brought in Adam Oler (30), an incumbent starting pitcher of the U.S. Major League Baseball, for a total of 1 million dollars.
There was inevitable bleeding. Internal FA Jang Hyun-sik (29) left the team after signing a four-year, 5.2 billion won contract with the LG Twins. KIA tried to keep its must-win group Jang Hyun-sik, who boasts 91 holds overall, but boldly gave up on LG's bet, which promised to guarantee the full amount of 5.2 billion won. 스포츠토토
Instead, he chose a bold trade. KIA surprised the baseball community by announcing a trade on the 19th that gave 1 billion won in cash to Kiwoom Heroes and the first and fourth rounds of rookies in 2026, and received pitcher Cho Sang-woo (30). Fastball bullpen Cho Sang-woo was a player who quickly became the best seller of this year's trade. Several clubs, including KIA, only drooled during the season, but Kia, which missed Jang Hyun-sik after the season, did not hesitate to embrace Cho Sang-woo this time. Cho Sang-woo, who has 88 saves and 54 holds in the KBO, is expected to be a great help to the team as a must-winner.
Kia has also decided to separate itself from its foreign hitter Socrates Brito (32). Socrates contributed to the victory by batting 0.310 (171 hits in 552 times at bat), 26 homers, 97 RBIs and 0.875 OPS in 140 games this year. Starting from 2022, the overall performance in the three KBO seasons is 409 games, a batting average of 0.302, 63 homers and 270 RBIs. It was a good performance to consider renewing the contract.
However, Kia wanted a batter with more weight than Socrates. This is why it concluded a contract agreement with Patrick Wisdom (33), who has 88 home runs in the Major League.