There are trades that are successful, there are trades that are overturned after guessing the cards, and there are various situations such as hearing a different answer from the opponent after hearing a doctor. If all of these are collectively referred to as “trade discussions,” it would be correct to say that trade discussions in the KBO League occur almost throughout the year. Perhaps even now, this kind of story is going to come and go between some clubs.
Last year, several deals were made in the KBO league trade market, but the players who drew the most attention among the unsuccessful trades were LG’s outfielders Lee Hyeong-jong (34‧ Kiwoom) and Han Seok-hyun (29‧ NC). LG, one of the top teams in the league, basically has a deep team player base. They didn’t deserve a spot, but they were very attractive players in the eyes of other clubs.
However, the overall context is that LG did not show any particular reaction to some trade proposals. The head of a team who heard Han Seok-hyun’s trade said, “LG showed a lukewarm response to the trade as a whole from the outside.” The head of another club, who also wanted to discuss a trade with LG, also said, “I felt burdened by the trade rather than actively matching the cards.” 스포츠토토
In the meantime, the trade discussion naturally sank below the surface. Han Seok-hyun, who was active in the Futures League (second team) and caught the attention of other clubs, was injured in the middle of the season and left the line. There was no team to take a player who couldn’t play, and the discussion on the trade of Han Seok-hyun, which attracted a lot of attention, ended as it was.
LG must have had its own internal circumstances, and it would have been sufficiently considered internally before reaching a conclusion. It is difficult to evaluate right or wrong here. However, as players, they were not traded and qualified for Futures FA, and as a result, they changed their uniforms in a situation where they could choose their own team. This wasn’t a bad ending. Han Seok-hyun signed a contract with NC, and Lee Hyeong-jong with Kiwoom. Financial conditions are also a condition, but it is evaluated that he chose the club he was most interested in and the place where he could get as much playing time as possible.
Han Seok-hyun, who was praised by all the officials in the 2nd division, must prove that his ability works well in the 1st division. Han Seok-hyun, who was nominated by LG in 2014 (ranked 48 in the 5th round of the 2nd round), debuted in the first team late in 2020 and played only 31 games for 3 years. Although his Futures League performance was outstanding, he should be regarded as a player who has not been proven in the first team. Expectations are high with the prospect of more opportunities than LG, which had many good outfielders.
Lee Hyeong-jong, who signed a 4-year, 2 billion won contract with Kiwoom, is expected to naturally focus on his performance this year. He is a Futures free agent, but this is because he won a pretty big contract that even several players who applied for first-team free agents did not receive. Lee Hyung-jong showed his own competitiveness despite limited opportunities last year, and as seen from his performance from 2018 to 2020, he belongs to a player with a high score. Attention is focusing on whether both players will be able to confidently show the ability that has received a lot of attention from other teams.
