It is not easy to open another wallet if the investment did not lead to the result. How much investment will the Lotte Giants make to catch Koo Seung-min (34) and Kim Won-joong (31) who will enter the free agent market this winter.안전놀이터

Lotte, which has entered a new dark age since 2018 by ranking seventh to tenth, seventh to eighth, boldly swept its players in the free agent market after the end of the 2022 season. To make up for weaknesses in the positions of catcher and shortstop, it signed a four-year free agent contract worth 8 billion won (approx. It then acquired sidearm pitcher Han Hyun-hee, who has experienced both starting and bullpen sessions, for a total of 4 billion won (approx. It was a bold investment worth 17 billion won (approx.

However, the investment did not come to fruition. After recruiting three free agents, Lotte only elevated its ranking by one notch to seventh place in 2023 from the previous season.

2024 was even more serious. The team even recruited Kim Tae-hyung, a great coach, to escape from the lower ranks, but failed to display stellar performance by the trio of free agents, which should be the core of the team.

"8 Billion Catcher" Yoo Kang-nam ended the season early on with a knee injury in June after struggling in a slump early in the season. His final performance was .191 with five home runs, 20 RBIs and an OPS of 0.599 in 51 games, which was not helpful to his team at all.

Roh Jin-hyuk, a "5 billion shortstop," spent a long time in the second division, and eventually left a poor performance with a batting average of 0.217 with two home runs, 13 RBIs and an OPS of 0.604 in 73 games this season. Han Hyun-hee, a "4 billion pitcher," helped Lotte's pitching staff with 5 wins, 3 losses and an eight-hold ERA of 5.19 in 57 games, but even that was regrettable considering the ransom.

Lotte, which ranked seventh for the second consecutive year despite spending 17 billion won (10.7 million U.S. dollars) in the free agent market, will have to crack down on two internal free agents this winter. Set-up man and closing pitcher are the core resources of the bullpen.

Both players were sluggish ahead of the FA. Koo Seung-min did not have a clue, as his ERA remained at 21.94 until April. He gradually recovered from May, but showed signs of faltering again at the end of the season. In the end, his final record in this season was 5 wins, 3 losses and 13 holds, with an ERA of 4.84 in 66 games. He had the highest ERA and the fewest number of holds in the last five seasons. He also had to end his career with 20 holds for four seasons (2020-2023).

Kim Won-joong also lacked stability. He seemed to be comfortable in terms of his record of three wins, six losses, 25 saves and an earned run average of 3.55 in 56 games, but based on detailed indicators, he left much to be desired as he finished the game. He observed the game with three losses and 16 saves and an earned run average of 2.41, but his performance deteriorated to three wins, three losses and nine saves and an earned run average of 4.85 in 26 games in the second half.

His six Blon saves were tied for fifth in the league and the third-highest number of saves. His save success rate was 78.1 percent, the lowest in the last four seasons. His walk per nine innings (BBB/9) was also the highest since the switch to 4.41, while his strikeouts per nine innings (9.66) were significantly lower than those in 2022 (12.56) and 2023 (11.59).

FA's ransom is heavily influenced by market conditions. It remains to be seen whether any team can take aggressive actions to recruit Koo Seung-min and Kim Won-joong in the upcoming FA market. As most teams have solid finishing pitchers, it is not easy for Kim Won-joong, who recorded 132 saves in total, to attract interest in the market. As Koo is also a bullpen pitcher who is entering his mid-30s, it carries risks to open his wallet immediately.

However, if the two players move to the FA, there is no good alternative for Lotte. Lotte has experienced a long period of anxiety over its bullpen. Koo Seung-min, who had the most holds (121 saves) in the club's history, and Kim Won-joong, who had the most saves (132 saves), have kept the back door steady in recent seasons. Lotte, which ranked eighth in the league with an ERA of 5.34 this season as well, will find it difficult to find resources to replace its vacancy immediately if it leaves the club.

Lotte, which failed to escape from the bottom even after investing a lot of money in the FA market two years ago, is in a difficult situation to open its wallet hot again. It remains to be seen how much Lotte will set the appropriate price for the "Save Duo" and engage in negotiations.