KBO League clubs continuously observe foreign players for a long time. It is rare to recruit players who have watched the game for a month. They list players who may come to the KBO League in the future and watch them for as long as a year or more. Most foreign players who come to the KBO go through such a procedure. 토토사이트
So did A, a right-handed orthodoxy. He had been on the list of several clubs for more than two years. He had a strong ball hitting more than 150 kilometers per hour on average, and most of all, his position in the Major League was not clear. He was classified as a player who could come to the KBO League someday if he waited. It was not just one club’s judgment. A number of clubs were listing A. “We were not the only ones watching this game,” a foreign official of the B team admitted.
He was a foreign player candidate of several clubs last year. However, he failed to reach the conclusion stage due to some circumstances. Above all, I wanted to challenge myself more in the Major League. Although his performance this year has improved a little, it was not at the level where he can guarantee his survival in the Major League. Most of all, he went to the bullpen.
Some clubs expected A to come to Korea this year. Club C placed A as the second candidate after other players. However, expectations were dashed. Rumors have it that the A team recently signed a contract with a Japanese team. “I heard that the A team signed a contract with a Japanese team, but they signed a contract beyond our expectations,” said the head of the D team, who was also monitoring the A team. The A team is known to have signed a contract for an amount that KBO League teams cannot give.
The league is in shock as foreign pitchers these days. “If A’s contract price is as rumored, the ransom has increased by as much as 1 billion won (approx. Still, hitters tend to have a lot of energy, but it’s really hard to find pitchers,” said an official from the B team. If it were the past, it would have been unusual for Major League teams to tie up players of all levels in Korea. Previously, some said so due to the transfer fee business, but nowadays, it has become a resource that is really necessary for the players’ base.
“Pitchers are very valuable in the U.S., and we are turning our attention to foreign countries as well,” said the D team’s general manager. “It is related to this that baseball teams are paying attention to players from the Japanese league. It is also symbolic that Ham Deok-ju was asked to check his status recently.” According to sources from Ham Deok-ju, the U.S. and Japanese teams were interested in the mid-season. However, the resource is not sufficient to immediately recruit players from the Major League in terms of overall skills. A scout from a Major League team confessed that he did not expect this.
Nevertheless, the fact that Ham Deok-ju was asked to check his status basically means that the player’s good skills are at the bottom. He is showing specific interest because he paid attention to an advantage of something. It is positive enough and deserves high evaluation and applause. However, in other words, it is fully possible to interpret that Major League teams that have not been able to resolve the supply and demand of players in their own countries are expanding their horizons.
It is also related to the fact that many successful pitchers in Japanese professional baseball, especially bullpen pitchers, are currently challenging or planning to challenge posting. In the past, they would not have been treated well, but things have changed now. This may be in line with Ko Woo-suk’s bold challenge, who might have hesitated to do so due to his poor performance this year. Therefore, some predict that “Ko might be treated better than expected.” The market is becoming more player-friendly.
Although the offseason has been a long time since it started, the foreign player market, especially the pitcher market, is still somewhat slow. Except for some players who have renewed their contracts, recruitment of new players is not heard well. Almost all clubs are currently agonizing over weighing foreign pitchers and new ones. The industry says that even agents with increased bargaining power do not easily give definite answers.
For now, there will be a large-scale movement of players around the Major League Winter Meetings, which will begin next week, and it is common for clubs to go through the roster maintenance process. Then, the players that KBO League clubs are aiming for could be released or they could start signing contracts. Some clubs are also known to prepare for long-term games. In some cases, it is a piece of cake in the picture when there is a $1 million cap.