Wontaein MLB Outlook Asked AI "Expected 2~3 year contract due to 4~5 advance issuance and long relief → WBC Showcase"

*This content was translated by AI.

Whether Won Tae-in (26), the "Blue Blood Ace" of the Samsung Lions, will advance to the Major League is emerging as a pressing concern. According to Major League scouts, the World Baseball Classic (WBC), which will be held in March, is considered a showcase.

So I asked artificial intelligence directly. We used Google's Generative AI Gemini to inquire about Won Tae-in's expected role in the Major League and his ransom.

AI said, "If Won Tae-in enters the Major League, it is very likely to be evaluated as a four-to-five pre-issuance selection or as a long-relief resource," adding, "As for the terms of the contract, a short-term contract of two to three years, including the guaranteed amount, cannot be ruled out."

Won Tae-in is truly the ace of Samsung. Won Tae-in, who played in 27 games in the 2025 season with a record of 12 wins, 4 losses and a 3.24 ERA, showed excellent durability after wearing the uniform as Samsung's first designation in 2019, playing 20 games and more than 100 innings for as many as seven consecutive seasons. In particular, he left a respectable record of 68-50 with a 3.77 ERA in 187 KBO league games. Above all, he won 15 games in the 2024 season and won the title of the most wins.

Now, Won Tae-in is about to become a free agent (FA). He could have played seven seasons and challenged the posting system to advance to the Major League after the end of the 2025 season, but he did not take action. A scout for an American League club also explained in a phone call with Star News, "The scouting report on the original people will be prepared to some extent."

In the end, the key to ransom and advancement is whether Won Tae-in plays in WBC or not. AI is expected to be at least $8 million (about 11.7 billion won) to $12 million (about 17.5 billion won) in terms of Won Tae-in's contract. An annual average of 4 million dollars (about 5.8 billion won) will be the Maginot Line. It is expected that he will sign a better contract than the minor league contract he signed with Yang Hyun-jong (38, KIA Tigers) and the Texas Rangers in the past, but it reflects the questionable evaluation in terms of his arrest (ball speed)."

AI has "excellent ball control and abundant international competition experience" as an advantage of Won Tae-in. Born in 2000, he is still very young, so he has a high growth potential. "I've played more than 150 innings every season without any major injuries, so I've proven some durability," he wrote.

On the other hand, the disadvantage of Won Tae-in is that "the fastball speed (average of 146km to 147km for Won Tae-in), which is less than the average fastball speed of 152km in the Major League, is a negative factor, and there will be a cold evaluation from Major League clubs for their ball control-oriented style." And he pointed out that it will also be necessary to manage the history of shoulder injuries during the Korean Series in the last 2024 season.

Finally, AI said, "It is also a variable that Samsung is preparing for a non-FA multi-year contract to catch Won Tae-in." In the end, if the upcoming WBC proves its power against high-quality batters, it will not be an impossible scenario to sign a guaranteed contract of more than $5 million per year. At the moment, a two-year contract that can guarantee some opportunity seems promising," he added.

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*This content was translated by AI.