"Baseball has become an idol." KBO's first 40-year-old 'triangle trade' hero → Why a veteran catcher signed a multi-year contract

*This content was translated by AI.

SSG Landers signed a multi-year contract with veteran catcher Lee Ji-young (40). It was possible because SSG had such a high evaluation.

SSG officially announced on the 6th that it signed a multi-year contract with veteran catcher Lee Ji-young for a two-year contract period and a total of 500 million won (400 million won per year, 100 million won in options).

Regarding Lee Ji-young, SSG explained the background of the multi-year contract, saying, "He is a veteran catcher with abundant experience and stable defense," adding, "He is highly evaluated for his strong professionalism and smooth communication skills within the team."

In particular, SSG emphasized, "I highly appreciated Lee Ji-young's ability to manage the game and leadership in the catcher's position," adding, "We proceeded with this contract because we believe it will play an important bridge role in strengthening the competitiveness of the team's catcher team and fostering juniors." That was why SSG gave him the gift of a multi-year contract, despite being 40 years old.

SSG has new catchers with excellent abilities such as Cho Hyung-woo and Lee Yul-ye. The club's judgment is that Lee Ji-young never showed much to them.

Lee Ji-young joined the Samsung Lions as a nurturing player in 2008 after graduating from Seohwa Elementary School, Shinheung Middle School, Jemulpo High School, and Kyungsung University. He then officially signed a first-team contract in 2009. Lee Ji-young played in 113 games in the 2013 season and took the position of Samsung's main home turf. Having established himself as a defensive catcher, he has grown into a main player of Samsung and contributed to winning the Korean Series three times.

It was in December 2018 that the change came to Lee Ji-young, who seemed to remain at Samsung. At that time, the Samsung Lions, the SK Wyverns (now SSG Landers), and the Nexen Heroes (now Kiwoom Heroes) made a triangular trade for the first time in the KBO. In response, SK sent Kim Dong-yeop to Samsung, Samsung sent catcher Lee Ji-young to Nexen, and Nexen sent Ko Jong-wook to SK, respectively, resulting in a 1:1:1 trade. Prior to the 2018 season, Samsung recruited national catcher Kang Min-ho, and eventually chose to let go of Lee Ji-young.

As soon as Lee Ji-young came to Kiwoom, he played as the main catcher. In the end, the transfer became a great move for him. In the 2022 season, he was responsible for 137 out of 144 games, showing off his rusty skills and physical strength. In particular, he played in all games from the semi-playoff to the Korean Series that year, contributing greatly to Kiwoom's postseason propaganda.

Lee Ji-young, who played for Kiwoom for five seasons until the 2023 season, has qualified as a free agent (FA) ahead of the 2024 season. And he also moved his team once. At that time, Kiwoom made a sign-and-trade with SSG and became a member of the Landers Corps. SSG held Lee in his arms in exchange for 250 million won in cash and transfer of the rookie nomination rights to Kiwoom in the third round in 2025. And Lee still showed off her presence by playing in 123 games in the 2024 season and 76 games in the 2025 season, respectively.

Above all, Lee Ji-young had good fan service and was an example of others. He also received the KBO Fair Play Award after the end of the 2022 season. Recently, he drew attention for his remarks on his conviction. He continued to volunteer for abandoned dogs as a dog owner and delivered donations. They also opened a charity cafe to share their warm hearts. Recently, he said at the meeting, "Rather than when I was young, should I say that fan culture has become an idol recently. How can a player do that? This happens a few times. Of course, the fans want to get autographs and take pictures, but if the players approach and the fans are a little considerate of the players, I think the Landers can be a good club and the fans can be a mature culture," he said, drawing attention as it became known through the online community.

Since the 2009 season, Lee Ji-young has played in 1,469 games in 15 seasons with a batting average of 0.278 and 1,100 hits. SSG said, "After joining SSG in 2024, he faithfully played the role of mentor within the team by helping new catchers such as Cho Hyung-woo and Lee Yul-ye grow. "Last year, he contributed greatly to strengthening the team's power by leading the stable operation of young bullpen pitchers."

After completing the contract, Lee Ji-young said through the club, "I am grateful to the club for presenting a multi-year contract. It is meaningful to continue to be with SSG in the future. I will do my best to achieve good results with my colleagues and juniors," he said.

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*This content was translated by AI.