Doosan Bears are preparing to negotiate with FA pitcher Hong Gun-hee. Doosan is cracking down on two internal FA players, including Hong Geon-hee and central hitter Yang Seok-hwan this winter. 안전놀이터 First of all, negotiations with Yang Seok-hwan began in earnest on the evening of the 27th, and soon, they will proceed with negotiations with Hong Geon-hee.
A Doosan official said on the 28th, Gunhee is definitely a necessary power. We had a baseline set in the first place. I won’t call it above that amount or lower than that. Our team has done something for us. I have set the appropriate amount. I have a plan to meet with Hong Gun-hee after tomorrow 29th,he explained.
Doosan recruited Hong Gun-hee in a trade, risking the bleeding of giving up all-weather infielder Ryu Ji-hyuk 29, current Samsung to the KIA Tigers during the 2020 season. Ryu Ji-hyuk, who was evaluated as the next starting infielder, was transferred and received a great backlash from Doosan fans at the time, but it was an inevitable choice for the club, which needed more mound reinforcement.
It didn’t take long for Hong Gun-hee to quell the backlash from fans. Immediately after the trade, Hong Kun-hee soothed Doosan’s thirst for a fastball bullpen by throwing a fastball exceeding 150km/h, and Doosan’s control, which was widely shaken in the match, which was pointed out as the biggest problem during the KIA period, was not noticeable. There was also the effect of using Jamsil Baseball Stadium, which is the most pitcher-friendly in Korea, but it was more because he gained confidence in his ball by steadily gaining opportunities and producing results.
Hong Gun-hee pitched in 237 games in four seasons with Doosan, recording 12 wins, 44 saves, 39 holds, 254 ⅔ innings and a 3.46 ERA. As soon as he transferred, he became the main player of the winning team, and since 2021, the second year of the transfer, he has been in charge of bad work on behalf of pitchers for three years until this year. From 2020 to this year, Hong Geon-hee played the most games among Doosan pitchers and ranked first in innings among bullpen pitchers. A Doosan official didn’t just say, Our team has done something so far.
Doosan has fully recognized Hong Gun-hee’s contribution in salary negotiations. The last salary negotiated with KIA in 2020 was 53 million won, and Doosan received 110 million won in 2021, 250 million won in 2022, and 300 million won in 2023.
This year, although his pace in the second half fell a little, he performed well enough as a closer until the middle of the season. He pitched in 64 games with one win, 22 saves, five holds, 61 ⅔, and a 3.06 ERA. Doosan is preparing for negotiations to treat Hong Gun-hee’s performance as it has done over the past four years.
Kim Jae-yoon is the only bullpen pitcher in the FA market to announce the contract. Kim Jae-yoon signed a four-year total of 5.8 billion won when he moved from the kt Wiz to the Samsung Lions on the 22nd. Samsung recognized Kim Jae-yoon’s contribution, who earned 169 saves as a KT closer. Compared to the total record, it is true that Hong Geon-hee is losing ground, and it seems difficult to sign a contract about the size of Kim Jae-yoon. Still, Doosan tries to offer a contract that makes it feel that it has recognized Hong Gun-hee’s contribution.