Lotte, once a big hand in the free agent (FA) market, has reduced the range of motion for external power reinforcement as the team’s annual salary has risen to the neck. After that, there was a tendency to turn to filling power through trade or draft. There was also an evaluation that it was an inevitable move for the future of the team.
Lotte, like Lee Dae-ho’s retirement, reduced the team’s salary, and this time in the free agency market, it came out as a ‘buyer’ again. By recruiting Yoo Kang-nam (4 years, 8 billion won), Noh Jin-hyeok (4 years, 5 billion won), and Han Hyun-hee (4 years, 4 billion won), all three cards that can be recruited in the free agent market have been used. If the past three years have been perseverance, now it is the intention to aim for more than a return to the postseason. The ultimate ambition to win while the veterans are still there is also read.
In the process, three players had to leave as compensation players. It was an inevitable blood loss to recruit free agents. Lefty Kim Yoo-yeong (29) left the team as compensation player for Yoo Gang-nam, catcher Ahn Joong-yeol (28) as compensation player for Noh Jin-hyeok, and sidearm Lee Kang-joon (22) as compensation player for Han Hyun-hee left the team in turn.
These were resources that accounted for a considerable portion of the team’s strength last year, or that the team constantly gave opportunities to revive, or that the team looked to the future. It means that there were no players who were not a waste. However, someone had to leave the team in order to bring in better players, and each of them was nominated.
Paradoxically, some analyze that Lotte had no choice but to let go because Lotte had gathered promising players well while experiencing the pain of being in the lower ranks. An official who is familiar with the situation analyzed, “Lotte strategically tied the compensation players relatively well. It seems that they attracted attention by minimizing the loss of power within the team and focusing on players that the opposing teams could take.”
The three players have one thing in common: they leave Lotte without being able to show off their talents 100%, although Lotte puts great expectations on them. Kim Yoo-young, who graduated from Gyeongnam High School, is a promising player who was nominated in the first round by Lotte in 2014. However, it took a long time to establish himself within his team, and last year (68 matches -51 innings) was the most appearances and the most innings since his debut. He was selected by LG, who needed a left-hander, and moved the team. Overall, his career is a player that Lotte fans have a lot of regrets about.
Ahn Joong-yeol wore a Lotte uniform at the time of the large-scale trade between Lotte and kt in 2015. Right-hander Park Se-woong, who moved the team together, received the biggest spotlight, but Lotte, who had concerns about ‘post-Kang Min-ho’, also placed great expectations on Ahn Joong-yeol, who had been with him. However, after that, he did not have a firm advantage in Lotte’s catcher audition, and due to his military service, he only appeared in 303 games during his 8 years at Lotte. 토토사이트
Lee Kang-jun is a promising player who has put a lot of effort into kt with his high-speed sidearm that can throw a fast ball. At the time, kt, which was in a hurry to back up the infield and catcher, gave up in exchange for Oh Yun-seok and Kim Jun-tae. It was a card that kt coach Lee Kang-cheol was quite disappointed with, and on the contrary, Lotte could read expectations in that they exchanged and recruited two first-team backup players. It was also the choice of current general manager Seong Min-gyu. However, he could not get a spot due to a problem with his pitching and was unfortunately forced to be released from the 20-man roster. Lotte’s bitterness is understandable in that it brought back a player acquired through trade.
Anyway, a transfer is a transfer, and now they start a new life in a new team. The fact that the team chose it is not different from the meaning of “I will use it in my power.” Rather, more opportunities may be opened than Lotte. Besides, all three players are still in their prime years. Lee Kang-jun, who is in his early 20s, and Kim Yoo-young, who is in his late 20s, Ahn Joong-yeol, all have many days left to play. The next three years are expected to be a turning point while paying attention to whether the flowers that could not bloom at Lotte will be able to bloom in the new team.