No progress yet. Will SSG Landers’ catcher free agency negotiations last the year?
SSG is currently in free agency talks with catcher Kim Min-sik. With the team’s highest salary as of the 2023 season, they can’t really afford to sign an outside free agent. It’s not that SSG hasn’t been thinking about strengthening its roster, but the pressure on the salary cap is too great. The salary cap is tight even with the salaries of the players who are already under contract. In fact, it is impossible to sign additional players except for internal free agent Kim Min-sik.
SSG’s negotiators have been in contact with Kim Min-sik’s agent several times and have met with him. However, negotiations have not been easy so far.
Of course, each side has its own position. The team is bound to be more calm in negotiations, and the player is bound to want a better deal considering his contribution and value to the team.
A year ago, SSG offered Kim Min-sik a multi-year, non-free agent contract, but the deal fell through just before finalization. A year later, 안전놀이터 Kim became a free agent and is on the market, but so far, there is no easy conclusion.
SSG has repeatedly said, “We need Kim Min-sik, too.”
Catching prospect Cho Hyung-woo is gaining experience in the first team, but with Lee Jae-won requesting his release and leaving the team, there is no veteran catcher to provide stability in the backfield except for Lee Heung-ryun. The secondary draft additions of Park Dae-on and Shin Beom-soo have increased the number of catcher options, but at current value, Kim Min-sik is arguably the most experienced SSG.
Since Kim Min-sik returned to SSG via trade, there is a clear desire to keep him, as he has a good relationship with his teammates and a good internal reputation.
However, the conditions for coexistence in professional world free agency are money and time. The bigger the difference in opinion, the harder it is to find a common ground. Kim Min-sik is also a first-time free agent, and given the difficulty of finding veteran catchers in the league, it’s understandable that he wants to be treated well.
The longer it takes to find an agreement, the worse it is for the player rather than the club.
According to Sports Chosun, none of the other teams are actively looking to add a catcher. Moreover, this year’s free agency market has virtually stalled after big-name players such as Ahn Chi-hong, Jeon Jun-woo, Yang Seok-hwan, and Kim Jae-yoon quickly completed their contracts. Many of them are in negotiations with their original teams, but there are differences between the clubs and the players. Only a few players have even mentioned the possibility of moving to another team, and even then, there are stumbling blocks.
For now, 에볼루션 바카라사이트 SSG and Kim Min-sik have not yet finalized a date for renegotiations. It is expected that they will talk again soon, but at this point, it could be later this year.