A dream full of anticipation for fall baseball at the beginning of the season
After finishing in 8th place and being eliminated, we strengthened our strength again.
Recruitment of Chae Eun-seong and Ahn Chi-hong in 3 years
A ‘big hit’ emerges in the professional baseball free agent market
Professional baseball’s Hanwha has once again emerged as a ‘big hit’ in the free agent (FA) market ahead of the opening of its new stadium next year. In just two days, 12.8 billion won was spent on external recruitment.
On the 8th, Hanwha signed a four-year contract with starting pitcher Eom Sang-baek (28) for a total of 7.8 billion won (down payment of 3.4 billion won, total annual salary of 3.25 billion won, and options of 1.15 billion won). A large amount of money was spent again a day after signing a four-year contract worth 5 billion won (down payment of 2.4 billion won, total annual salary of 1.8 billion won, and options of 800 million won) with infielder Shim Woo-jun (29) the previous day. Shim Woo-jun and Eom Sang-baek, who played for KT until this season, became the first and second free agents recruited from outside this year.
Hanwha completed external recruitment three days after the free agent market opened. This year, with a total of 20 players entering the free agent market, up to two players per club can be recruited from outside according to league regulations (Article 173, Restrictions on FA Acquisition). There is an analysis that Hanwha made a ‘big decision’ in terms of the size of the contract, as both players’ contracts were concluded early in the negotiation period.
Even looking back on the past three years, Hanwha is leading the free agent market. Hanwha, which signed infielder Chae Eun-seong in 2022 and brought in an outside free agent for the first time in seven years, also brought back pitcher Lee Tae-yang and infielder Oh Seon-jin, whom it had previously lost to other teams. Ahead of this season, following infielder Ahn Chi-hong, they even welcomed pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin, who returned from the Major League Baseball (MLB). Over three years, a total of 48.9 billion
The reason why Hanwha is so aggressive in recruiting players is to escape from the slump and maximize the effect of opening Baseball Dream Park (tentative name) next season. Hanwha continued to sell out tickets from the beginning of the season, led by Ryu Hyun-jin, who returned this season. they finished the regular season in 8th place and missed out on advancing to the postseason, but they broke the record for the most tickets sold in a season (47 times). The club’s record for the largest number of spectators (804,204) was also set. Due to the enthusiastic support of the fans, the team’s owner, Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-yeon, also visited the home stadium nine times this season alone. Unlike the existing Hanwha Life Eagles Park, which accommodates the smallest number of spectators (12,000) among the 10 teams, the new stadium can accommodate approximately 20,000 spectators.
Escaping from the bottom for 10,000 years is also an urgent priority. Hanwha, which was evaluated as a top 5 team this season, took the lead at one point in the early part of the season with 7 consecutive wins, but soon slipped in the rankings. Although they made a bold move to replace the manager and CEO in May, they were unable to join the fall baseball season. Even under coach Kim Kyung-moon, who took over the baton in June, the team failed to achieve a winning percentage of .500 with 42 wins, 1 draw, and 44 losses. Hanwha has been eliminated from fall baseball for six consecutive years, ending in the semi-playoffs in 2018. The only Korean Series championship was in 1999, 25 years ago, making it the second longest championship drought after Lotte (1992).
Newly added Eom Sang-baek is expected to play long innings as a starting pitcher, and Shim Woo-jun is expected to play the role the team wants with stable infield defense and stolen bases. Eom Sang-baek said, “I would like to think of the team’s advancement to fall baseball as the first priority rather than my personal goal,” and added, “I want to see fireworks explode brilliantly at the newly built stadium.” Shim Woo-jun also said, “I wanted to take the opportunity to be named as a shortstop before the opening game of the newly built stadium. “I will do better than work hard,” he said. After signing the contract, the two players also toured the new stadium construction site.
KT signed a four-year contract with infielder Heo Kyung-min, who played for Doosan, for a total of 4 billion won (down payment of 1.6 billion won, annual salary of 1.8 billion won, and options of 600 million won).
Reporter Kang Hong-gu [email protected]
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The article discusses the challenges and strategies of the Hanwha Eagles, a professional baseball team in South Korea, as they attempt to rebound from a prolonged slump. Here are the key points:
- Recruitment and Ambitions: Hanwha is aggressively recruiting players to escape their long-standing losing streak and to maximize the potential of their new stadium, Baseball Dream Park, set to open next season. The team has been selling out tickets, highlighting fan support, especially with the return of pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin.
- Season Performance: Despite strong fan backing and breaking the record for the highest number of tickets sold in a season, the Eagles finished in 8th place and failed to qualify for the postseason for the sixth consecutive year. The team’s performance dipped after a promising start with seven consecutive wins.
- Management Changes: In an effort to improve performance, Hanwha changed their manager and CEO mid-season but did not see a significant turnaround in the team’s fortunes under the new coach, Kim Kyung-moon.
- Historical Context: The Eagles have not participated in playoff baseball since 2018 and last won the Korean Series championship in 1999, making their championship drought one of the longest in the league.
- New Players: Hanwha is banking on newly acquired players, such as Eom Sang-baek and Shim Woo-jun, to strengthen their lineup. Both players express enthusiasm for contributing to the team’s success and making an impact in the new stadium.
- Rival Moves: Competing teams are also making strategic player signings, such as KT’s contract with infielder Heo Kyung-min, highlighting the ongoing competitive nature of the league.
Hanwha’s proactive steps in recruitment and facility upgrades reflect their determination to revitalize their team and reconnect with their fan base in the following seasons.