When will the news of the Samsung Lions' contract for "House Rabbit" be heard.
Among Samsung players, infielder Ryu Ji-hyuk (30, B grade) and outfielder Kim Heon-gon (36, C grade) are currently in the free agent market. Ryu Ji-hyuk entered the FA market for the first time by completing the eight-year registration period for the first time in the FA league, while Kim Hun-gon, who announced the return of the FA last year, became the first FA this year at the age of 36.
These are resources that must be acquired when considering skills and contributions. After recovering from sluggish performance and injuries over the past two years, Kim had a batting average of 0.302 with nine homers and 34 RBIs in 117 games this year. He hit four homers in nine postseason games, leading his team to the runner-up finish.
Ryu had a batting average of 0.258 with three homers and 36 RBIs in 100 games, which was not a good performance. However, he played a significant role in building the foundation for the minimum number of mistakes this season (81), by playing the role of infield commander leading young infielders such as Lee Jae-hyun (21) and foreign players such as David McKinnon and Lewin Diaz.
In particular, Ryu Ji-hyuk led young players well by playing the role of vice-captain to help Koo Ja-wook. When Koo Ja-wook was injured during the last playoff, it was Ryu Ji-hyuk who settled the atmosphere of the players and boosted their confidence. Ryu Ji-hyuk also worked hard to boost the team's atmosphere, not refusing to hesitate to run and play aggressive bases and hustle even while the team was losing.
Kim is well-known as an icon of hard work and dedication. Despite injuries and sluggishness, he has already made great efforts by swinging alone until dawn. With his career as a captain, Kim is also used to leading players as a veteran. He gives advice to younger players as well as by example, and is known to create positive synergy effect in the team.
In terms of the team's atmosphere, it is clear why we should catch them even considering the power gap. Currently, there is no replacement for Ryu Ji-hyuk in the second base. There are Ahn Joo-hyung and Yang Yang-geun, but they are not full-time players, and Shim Jae-hoon, a rookie in the second round in 2025, is emerging as the next second baseman, but he needs more experience. Until the soft landing, a veteran second baseman is needed. The outfield also had a gap as Kim Hyun-joon joined the military. There are Lee Sung-kyu, Yoon Jung-bin, and Kim Sung-yoon, but no player has been as consistent as Kim Heon-gon this season.
Then, when will the news of their FA contract be heard? Samsung first focused on recruiting external FA in the latest FA market. Negotiations were conducted with the top priority to strengthen the bullpen. There are rumors that there are positive exchanges with internal FA players, but progress seems to be slow.
On top of that, rumors are circulating that Ryu is receiving attention from other teams as he is well-received in infield utility player and leadership. Kim Hun-gon is also attracting other teams in that it is a C-grade resource that does not require giving up compensation players. For Samsung, I have a headache.
They failed to catch Kim Won-joong and Jang Hyun-sik, who were the most promising candidates for recruitment. The remaining pitchers in the market are players who are older or have to yield compensation players, and many players have to weigh their profits and losses more thoroughly. They have more time to focus on cracking down on internal FA. 메이저사이트
When will the "icon of dedication" who will show their presence beyond their competence within the team be signed? Attention is focusing on whether Samsung, which is struggling to recruit free agents from outside, will be able to successfully crack down on the team.