It is becoming increasingly difficult for KBO League teams to recruit foreign players. It’s already mid-December, but five teams have yet to sign a single player. There are only eight foreign players who have completed their contracts. Among them, there are only two new foreign players whose contracts are not renewed or returned: Hanwha outfielder Jonathan Peraza ($1 million) and SSG pitcher Robert Dugger ($900,000).
The foreign player market is moving more slowly than ever. The main reason is that the player pool is not good. The aftereffects of the minor league being canceled and reduced for a time due to the COVID-19 pandemic still remain. Even useful players have a history of injuries or are heading to the Japanese professional baseball league. One official said, “If the Japanese team is involved, the game won’t be played. “We simply cannot compete with the $1 million cap,” he said in frustration. Another official also said, “There are success stories like Eric Peddie, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to find good players. “There are no pitchers in particular,” he said.
The KBO has limited the price of new foreign players to $1 million for six years since 2019. Meanwhile, the major league minimum salary continued to rise from $555,000 to $720,000. As minor league treatment and welfare have improved significantly, it is not easy to persuade players who want to remain in the United States under acceptable conditions. 카지노사이트 As a result, many players who failed to renew their contracts in Japan have recently become candidates for recruitment by domestic teams.
A hitter is a hitter, but finding a pitcher is much more difficult.
Hanwha, which was looking for a new strong first-choice foreign pitcher, also ran into difficulties. It looks like it will take a long time as the pitchers who were ranked 1st and 2nd for recruitment decided to stay in the United States. Due to the failure of Burch Smith, which ended in the first game of the opening game, the search was mainly for pitchers who were not at risk of injury, so the options were not wide.
Hanwha renewed its contract with Felix Peña, who was the first starter this year, for up to $1.05 million on the 9th, but worries about the remaining spot are becoming more and more serious. Left-hander Ricardo Sanchez, included in the pending player list, is being kept for insurance purposes, and if market conditions continue to be poor, he may continue to be accompanied.
Hanwha’s rookie of the year, Moon Dong-joo, will be in the starting rotation full-time starting next year as the innings limit is lifted. In the second half of the season, veterans Lee Tae-yang and Young-gun Kim Ki-joong played an active role in the starting lineup, and rookie Hwang Jun-seo, the first overall pick, impressed the coaching staff as a starting candidate during the finishing camp. Attention is also paid to the possibility of Kim Min-woo’s rebound after recovering from his shoulder injury.
There are many things to expect from the domestic starting lineup, but there are few certain constants.
If foreign pitchers do not maintain focus, it is difficult to cope with variables. If they do not find a first-choice foreign pitcher to pair with Peña, they will have no choice but to start the season with anxiety.
In that respect, Hanwha cannot give up on Ryu Hyun-jin any more. Ryu Hyun-jin, who was released as a free agent at the end of his four-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, has not yet decided on a new team. There is not much news from the United States, but starting pitchers are so valuable that it does not seem difficult for Ryu Hyun-jin to sign a contract worth more than $10 million per year, which is the standard for him to remain in the United States.
However, Hanwha is keeping a close eye on Ryu Hyun-jin’s situation and not giving up hope. Although FA Ahn Chi-hong was recruited for a large amount of money, there is about 5 billion won in salary cap space, and it is not impossible if you are prepared to be fined if you exceed it once. If Ryu Hyun-jin returns, Hanwha will be able to immediately resolve the issue of being the No. 1 starter due to the team’s strength, and Hanwha also sees his value as a leader of the pitching staff as the team is composed of many young promising pitchers.
Hanwha is communicating with Ryu Hyun-jin behind the scenes. Since last month, Ryu Hyun-jin has expressed his intention to make a decision as early as December 20th, or within the year at the latest. He doesn’t take too long. 토토사이트 It is highly likely that a decision will be made over the next 10 days in the larger framework of remaining in the U.S. or returning to Korea.
Very good info can be found on weblog.Raise your business