It was the symbol of the end of a long wait and the declaration of “Winnow”. However, the first year was a bitter failure.
The Lotte Giants embarked on an even stronger reform drive in 2023, leaving behind a year filled with change and disappointment. They hired a new manager, Kim Tae-hyung, and appointed a new general manager, Park Joon-hyuk. The team is still led by the youngest manager among the KBO’s 10 clubs.
Kim Tae-hyung’s appointment was a long time coming. The rumors had already spread. He made a bold decision under pressure.
However, there is no ‘inauguration gift’. The tight salary cap will be enough to hold on to the backup duo of Koo Seung-min and Kim Won-joong, who will be free agents after the 2024 season. There could be roster changes in the future, including trades, 온라인카지노 but the same is true for other teams. It’s not easy to add power.
In the end, upgrades and step-ups must be made from the existing power.
Lotte’s rookies need to be nurtured and veterans like Yoo Kang-nam, Noh Jin-hyuk, and Han Hyun-hee need to be motivated. Manager Kim Tae-hyung understood this and appointed the most experienced player, Jeon Jun-woo, as captain to set the tone for the team.
With a batting average of 2.061, 10 home runs, 55 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.725, Yoo has at least made up for his slump in the last two years. However, the pressure of a four-year, 8 billion won contract weighed heavily on him. He played in only 121 games, tarnishing his reputation as the “golden bullet.
Although he is friendly and sometimes playful, he is more serious than anyone else when it comes to baseball. When Yoo is focused on baseball, he is not easy to approach, even by his teammates. He is preparing for the new season with a different mindset.
Add to that the pressure of the pitch clock and ABS (Automatic Ball Judgment System, aka robot umpires). The pressure of the pitch clock and ABS (a.k.a. robotic umpires) has put a lot of weight on Ahn’s shoulders, but it’s also a chance for Yoo Kang-nam to prove himself as a catcher.
It was a year full of trials for Noh Jin-hyuk.
He left the team where he was a franchise star for a four-year, 5 billion won offer. However, his batting average of 25-for-57 with four home runs, 51 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.724 was a career-low since becoming the starting shortstop in 2018. He didn’t show the power that was his forte, and he only played in 113 games.
This year should be different. He should be the 20-homer powerhouse Lotte was hoping for, and the veteran leader of an infield defense that is missing even Ahn Chi-hong (Hanwha).
The same goes for Han Hyun-hee, who is heavily incentivized but weighs a total of 4 billion won over four years. His 6-12 record, 3 holds, 104 innings pitched, and 5.45 ERA between the starting and bullpen aren’t enough. At the very least, a 12-year veteran and a perennial holdout should be able to lock down a spot in the five-man rotation.
All three have been gritting their teeth and working out during the offseason. Yoo Kang-nam has been on an intense diet, focusing on strengthening his batting. “I want to do my best and achieve good results while working with coach Kim Tae-hyung,” said Noh Jin-hyuk. Han Hyun-hee also said, “This year, I had only two weeks of off-season. I focused on my workouts,” he said, aiming for a “different today than yesterday.
The contract of Myung-jang, who has advanced to the Korean Series for seven consecutive years and won three titles, is for three years, 실시간 바카라사이트 the same as the remaining contract period of three free agents (Yoo Kang-nam, No Jin-hyuk, and Han Hyun-hee) with a total of 17 billion won. It’s time for Kim Tae-hyung to prove himself to the three big-name veterans, as well as to the team after leaving the parent team, Dusan.