The free agent compensation player Kiwoom Heroes selected for the first time in the history of the club was Lotte Giants right-hander sidearm Lee Kang-jun (22).
In a phone call with Star News on the 20th, Ko Hyeong-wook, general manager of Kiwoom Kiwoom, said, “There were one or two players who made up their mind to bring them right away without even worrying if these players were missing. After receiving the list of protected players, I handed it back to Lotte within an hour.”
Previously, Kiwoom officially announced that it had nominated pitching prospect Lee Kang-joon as a compensation player for Han Hyun-hee (30), who obtained free agent (FA) status and transferred to Lotte.
Founded in 2008, Kiwoom has had two opportunities to receive free agent compensation players, but all chose only compensation. He received 1.44 billion won in compensation for Jung Sung-hoon (43), who transferred to the LG Twins ahead of the 2009 season, and 1.59 billion won against Lotte, who recruited Son Seung-rak (41) before the 2016 season.
This time, too, he had no intention of receiving only the reward money. Han Hyun-hee was a grade A FA, and Kiwoom could receive 300% of his 2022 season salary (250 million won), 750 million won, or 200%, 500 million won, and 20 protected players and one other person. 온라인바카라
Director Goh laughed, saying, “If the player we thought hadn’t come out, I would have changed my mind. On the day Han Hyun-hee signed the contract, I picked the Lotte roster and immediately started thinking about it.
It was easier to make the decision because he was a player who had been paying attention from an early age. Lee Kang-joon, 180 cm and 80 kg, graduated from Seorak High School and joined KT Wiz in the 2nd and 3rd round of the 2020 rookie draft. In 2021, he moved to Lotte through a 2-to-1 trade with catcher Kim Jun-tae and infielder Oh Yoon-seok, and recorded an average ERA of 9.51 in 32 games in his career. He also looked positively at the prospect of enlisting in the Armed Forces Sports Unit (Sangmu) in May of this year.
Director Go said, “I went to Wonju to see Lee Kang-jun myself. I was able to choose with confidence because I checked everything related to it. He said, “In order to foster, I have to build up a lot of experience, but I went to managing director. If I go to managing director, I will be able to throw a lot, and I am looking forward to growing through that experience.”
Coincidentally, Lee Kang-jun is also a right-handed sidearm like Han Hyun-hee, who left. He replaced the veteran with a younger, quicker pitcher.
Director Koh said, “We didn’t consider the fact that he was a sidearm. Our goal was to pick the best player.” I chose it with confidence because I know that there is a high potential for growth through this part.”