They said they had narrowed their differences, but they were vague in the first place…KIA and FA Seo Geon-chang's dilemma
They said they had narrowed their differences, but they were vague in the first place…KIA and FA Seo Geon-chang's dilemma
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The pace of negotiations between the KIA Tigers and the FA infielder Seo Kun-chang seems to have accelerated as the new year approaches. Kia plans to conclude negotiations with Seo until it departs for Irvine, California, the site of its first spring camp at the end of this month, but it is questionable whether the team and its players will be able to smile even after signing the contract.토토사이트
Since the opening of the free agent league, KIA and Seo had constant dialogue. As Seo applied for the first free agent right after four moves, he must have had high expectations for the duration and amount of his contract. Seo had a batting average of 0.310 (63 hits in 203 at-bats) and an OPS of 0.820 in 94 games last season. While playing as a backup, he proved why he topped 200 hits (201 hits) for the first time in KBO history in 2014, contributing to Kia's overall win. If he achieves such a good performance, he will be eligible for an increase even if annual salary negotiations are held.
The problem lies in the value of the future. Kia played for one season without its main first baseman last year. Lee Woo-sung (670 ⅓ innings), Byun Woo-hyuk (314 innings), and Seo Geon-chang (276 ⅔ innings) seemed to share the team, but Kia has yet to find a suitable person to serve as its first baseman until this year. This is the background of its plan to appoint Patrick Wisdom, a new foreign hitter, as its first baseman.
It is very disadvantageous for Korean players to compete in the same position as foreign batters. It is not an exaggeration to say that foreign batters account for half of a team's offensive power in the KBO League. The fact that foreign batters lost ground in the competition with Korean players means that they failed to recruit players. KIA expects Wizdom to prove the value of 88 home runs in the Major League at bat by maintaining the first base firmly throughout this season.
With the addition of Wizdom, the temperature gap between Kia Tigers and Seo has widened naturally. Seo is not close to the defense of second baseman Kim Sun-bin, and due to Wizdom, he has difficulty securing as much time as he did last year. As a designated hitter, Seo cannot surpass Choi's bat. To guarantee sufficient contract period and amount, Seo must be used as the starting pitcher in at least one position, but cool-headed, Seo is in a position where it is difficult to claim favorable conditions.
Seo is not alone in this matter. Other Korean players are also on fire. Lee has decided to re-enter the race to occupy the first spot without Socrates Brito to secure time for the game, and infielder Byun Woo-hyuk is now in a situation where he has to prepare for backup to the first and third bases. Seo Geon-chang, who is in the FA market, is only having a colder winter than them.
In order for Seo to sign a better contract than Kia currently offers, a new club that wants him must appear. The club that is willing to appoint Seo must show its intention to recruit him, but so far, it has been quiet. Seo's FA grade is C grade and the amount of compensation is not large, but with the introduction of the salary cap system, it is difficult for a C grade player to freely transfer to a team these days because the amount of money that the club can spend on the team is limited. Seo is an old player in his late 30s, and his inability to play as a full-time starter for three consecutive seasons from 2022 when he was a member of the LG Twins until last year when he transferred to KIA is another obstacle. This is why it is hard to expect both long-term contracts and high amounts.
Kia has continued negotiations with Seo because it helps strengthen its depth even though it is difficult to guarantee a starting player. In a single season, injuries are always reported, which is positive for the team to keep Seo as its backup card. In that sense, the team must have agreed to provide contract terms equivalent to those of backup players. Of course, Seo would not have been able to immediately accept the offer. Negotiations began at an ambiguous situation where both the team and the players could not be satisfied.