he Korea Baseball Organization held the second draft of the 2024 KBO at The K Hotel in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, at 2 p.m. on the 22nd. With 10 club officials gathered together, a total of 22 players among the players who were not included in the 35-member protection list will be transferred to other teams. 토토
Since the completion of the second draft, which lasted about 30 minutes, the results of the 10 clubs’ nominations have been announced. Choi Joo-hwan, SSG’s main infielder, will wear the Kiwoom Heroes uniform due to his first-round pick, and veteran bullpen pitcher Woo Kyu-min moved from the Samsung Lions to the KT Wiz. In addition, veteran infielder Oh Sun-jin moved from Hanwha Eagles to Lotte Giants, and outfielder Song Seung-hwan from Doosan Bears to NC Dinos.
However, the nomination came in the fourth round to forget all the results up to the third round. This is because Hanwha called the name of SSG outfielder Kim Kang-min. It was something that no one had ever thought of. Kim Kang-min, who joined the SK Wyverns now SSG in 2001 as the 18th pick in the second round of the second round, began receiving opportunities in the first division in earnest from 2006 and has been in charge of one of the outfield teams for more than a decade. As time passed, he seemed to reflect his value as a veteran, with players younger than him appearing one by one.
In particular, Kim Kang-min is one of the few players who experienced all of the team’s Korean Series wins until last year, following 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2018 when he was in SK. Last year, he hit a decisive walk-off three-run home run in Game 5 of the Korean Series and even won the MVP of the series. As such, the meaning of the existence of Kim Kang-min is inevitably different for both fans and players.
It is true that Kim Kang-min, who played in 70 games in the first division this season, only hit 0.226 with two home runs and seven RBIs in 31 at-bats for 137 times at bat, showing a downward trend in terms of performance. This is why I had to think about two options: extending my active duty and retiring.
There was no progress until the inauguration of SSG new coach Lee Sung-yong on the 21st. At the time of the inauguration, when asked by reporters about the future of veteran outfielder Kim Kang-min and Choo Shin-soo, Lee said, I have not met or spoken on the phone yet, but I will respect the judgment of the two players and the club intend to go accordingly.
SSG proposed to Kim Kang-min to train as a leader and also delivered a plan to hold a retirement game during next season. Even if it was not a grand retirement tour, he was trying to honor the one-club man who played in one team for 23 years as much as possible.
However, Kim Kang-min’s name was not included in the second draft protection list. SSG general manager Kim Sung-yong, who met with reporters after the second draft, said, To protect promising players, we informed them in advance that Choi Joo-hwan and Kim Kang-min would be removed from the protected list, and we never expected a team to nominate Kim Kang-min.
In the second draft, players in their first to third years of joining the club, FA including overseas return FA in the year, and foreign players were classified as automatically excluded players. This means that not only this year, but also players who joined the club from 2021 to 2022 did not have to be protected separately.
The club said it could not tie Kim Kang-min to protect the prospect, but it is difficult to understand that he left Kim Kang-min in front of his eyes in a defensive state. As Hanwha announced on the 14th that it would leave Jung Woo-ram as a playing coach, there was time to move in advance at the club level. Fans are also fans, but the teammates who watched Kim Kang-min up close than anyone else are in shock. They also did not imagine that Kim Kang-min would wear another team’s uniform.
Pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun, who has won five Korean Series championships with Kim Kang-min, posted on his Instagram that day, SNS is a waste of life, but I should do it today. I respect someone’s choice, but I don’t think 23 years should be ignored. Bye, bro. Oh, it’s really cold today, he said, expressing regret. Outfielder Han Yu-seom posted a picture taken with Kim Kang-min along with the phrases Is this right? and Kang-min, I’ll go home soon.
SSG moved faster than any other club at the end of this season. Then, after the termination of the contract with Kim Won-hyung, he reached out to Lee Sung-yong, and the club emphasized the need for a generational change, referring to remodeling rather than rebuilding.
It was true that changes were needed, but the current trend is not remodeling, but literally more of a colorless odor. Even if Kim Kang-min declares his retirement without playing the 2024 season, it is difficult to expect a good picture. Thus, SSG crossed a river that could not return with complacency judgment.