Two veteran catchers with five championship rings. Catcher was once one of the weakest positions in the league, but now there are only five competing for the starting job.
SSG Landers has parted ways with its veteran catchers. SSG acquired Lee Ji-young through a sign-and-trade with the Kiwoom Heroes on April 12. Lee was eligible for free agency after the 2023 season, but it was not easy for him to move to the B-tier of the free agent classification system. Eventually, Kiwoom agreed to a sign-and-trade, where she was traded to SSG as soon as she completed her free agency contract with Kiwoom. SSG gave Kiwoom $250 million and a third-round draft pick in the 2025 rookie draft in exchange for the trade. It was more of a “compensation” than anything else.
On the 16th, the team also finalized a deal with internal free agent Kim Min-sik. Kim Min-sik, who had been in negotiations since December, 안전놀이터 agreed to a two-year contract totaling 500 million won (400 million won in salary and 100 million won in incentives).
This effectively finalizes SSG’s plans for the 2024 season.
The team has already completed negotiations with players who are eligible to renew their contracts, ranking first out of 10 clubs, and as the team with the second highest salary cap as of the 2023 season, it is difficult to make any outside signings. In the meantime, the team has managed to bolster its catching staff, so in effect, Lee will be able to start his first season with a full roster.
The catcher position, which was the biggest concern, is now more solid. SSG’s catching staff has been criticized as a weakness. Until last season, the team used a three-man catcher system with Kim Min-sik, Lee Jae-won, and Cho Hyung-woo, but while Cho Hyung-woo is still promising, Kim Min-sik and Lee Jae-won have been inconsistent. In fact, with Kim Min-sik as the primary catcher, there was talk of bringing in a more reliable catcher via free agency or trade.
In fact, SSG even considered signing an outside catcher in the past, but the deal fell through due to practical issues such as the difference in price. With Lee Jae-won leaving the team last year, negotiations with Kim Min-sik became a protracted process. If the deal fell through, the only remaining catchers were Cho Hyung-woo and Park Dae-on and Shin Beom-soo, who were selected through the second round of the draft.
However, with the signing of Lee Ji-young and Kim Min-sik
There are now five catchers who can compete for the first team, including three younger catchers. Given his experience, longevity, and importance to the team, Kim Min-sik is the most likely candidate for the starting job, but another veteran catcher, Lee Ji-young, is also a force to be reckoned with. Lee was the backup catcher to Jin Gap-yong during the Samsung Lions’ dynasty and won three championships with Samsung. Kim Min-sik also won two championships as a starter for the KIA Tigers and the returning SSG. The two veteran catchers have a combined five championship rings.
Add to that the growth of the younger catchers. Cho Hyung-woo is a player SSG has been keeping an eye on as a big prospect and giving him consistent opportunities. He didn’t even play a single game in the Korean Series when they won the title in 2022, 파워볼사이트 추천 but he was on the roster. His inclusion in the roster sent a message about how SSG wants to develop him in the future.
Park Dae-on and Shin Beom-soo, who have both adapted quickly to the team, are also catchers with their own strengths, which could spark competition.
The more catchers, the better. In addition to Lee, SSG has appointed Japanese coach Fumihiro Suzuki as the new first-team battery coach this season. The competition between the five catchers for the starting role will begin in earnest this spring camp.