"It's a shame that Kim Hyun-soo went out." Coach Yeom Kyung-yeop's honest remarks put his trust in the two and risked "weak power."

*This content was translated by AI.

LG Twins manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58), who is preparing for the 2026 season, picked Chun Sung-ho (29) and Lee Jae-won (27) as players to fill the void of Kim Hyun-soo (38, KT Wiz).

LG, which won the Korean Series last year, aimed to stay inside the FA Kim Hyun-soo and Park Hae-min (36) this off-season. He signed a four-year, 6.5 billion won contract with captain and main center fielder Park Hae-min, but Kim Hyun-soo failed to catch him in the end. Kim Hyun-soo headed to KT on an exceptional condition of guaranteeing the full amount of 5 billion won for three years.

From an immediate point of view, Kim Hyun-soo's departure is a weakening of his power. Kim Hyun-soo was a clean-up hitter with a batting average of 0.298 (144 hits in 483 at-bats) of 12 home runs, 90 RBIs and 66 runs and an on-base percentage of 0.384 on-base plus slugging percentage of 0.806 in 140 games during the regular season. In the league as a whole, he ranked 15th in batting average and 18th in OPS, above the league average.

A bold decision was also possible because there were players expected to fill the vacancy. Coach Yeom Kyung-yeop met with reporters at LG's New Year's greeting on the 6th and said, "It's my fourth season after coming to LG, and it's like a spring camp that starts in the most stable and well-equipped state."

On the fielder's side, "Last season, Koo Bon-hyuk and Chun Sung-ho came out like the main players during injuries or breaks of existing main players as backups. He praised it, saying, "I'm not just getting a chance, but I'm ready to grow into a player who can play for the team's victory."

Choi Won-young can play a role that helps the team's power as a defense. They can also develop a little more in terms of hitting through their experience last year and this camp. As such, there is Lee Jae-won, who returned from a stable backup and main line. "If right-handed batter Lee Jae-won enters the lineup, the ratio of right and left hands is matched in the lineup, so he can respond well to left-handed pitchers," he added.

In particular, Chun Sung-ho and Lee Jae-won were selected as players to fill Kim Hyun-soo's gap. Chun Sung-ho joined LG through a trade with KT in the middle of last season. Lee Jae-won is a promising right-handed fighter who was discharged from the military athletic unit in December last year.

Coach Yeom Kyung-yeop said, "There is a regret that (Kim) Hyun-soo is out," but added, "I think it will be a big opportunity for (Cheon) Sung-ho and (Lee) Jae-won."

Chun Sung-ho is a right-handed left-handed infielder who joined KT as the 12th pick in the second round of the 2020 KBO Rookie Draft after graduating from Gwangju Hwajeong Elementary School, Chungjang Middle School, Jinheung High School, and Dankook University. The batting talent itself has been recognized since KT's days, with a career batting average of 0.315, and an OPS of 0.809. Due to unstable infield defense, he did not receive a steady first-team opportunity. Due to the limited opportunities to play due to the shaky defense, the talent was not properly displayed in the first team. However, manager Yeom Kyung-yeop gave Chun Sung-ho a corner outfielder and used him as a platoon against right-handed pitchers, making him focus only on that.

Lee Jae-won cited LG's performance in the 2026 season as the key. Lee Jae-won, who graduated from Cheongju Seokgyo Elementary School, Seoul Kyungwon Middle School, and Seoul High School, joined LG as the 17th in the second round of the 2018 KBO Rookie Draft. After his debut in the first division in 2020, he was expected to hit 13 home runs in 2022, but he showed a stagnant performance and fulfilled his military duty first.

His performance in Sangmu was remarkable. He hit 40 home runs in the Futures League for two seasons. Last year, he dominated the Futures League with a batting average of 0.329 (91 hits in 277) with 26 home runs, 91 RBIs and 81 runs and an on-base percentage of 0.457 slugging percentage of 0.643 OPS 1.100. Coach Yeom Kyung-yeop said, "In the end, Lee Jae-won is holding the key. "How tricky we become to the opposing team depends on how well Lee Jae-won makes use of this opportunity," he stressed.

Like Chun Sung-ho, Lee Jae-won was given a clear role. Rather than catching both offense and defense, the first team, which returned for the first time in a long time, focused only on hitting. Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop said, "Lee Jae-won is a designated hitter for now. He will only play defense at the time when outfield players need to give him a break. Currently, the main outfielders are left fielder Moon Sung-joo, center fielder Park Hae-min, and right fielder Hong Chang-ki. Lee Jae-won said, "I think I'll have to play outfield this year while playing as a designated hitter."

In the long run, he predicted the possibility of Lee Jae-won's first base. Coach Yeom said, "In the middle of the season, we will also train him to defend first base. I think (Lee) Jae-won should eventually take first base, either as a person or as a team. As a left fielder, Lee Jae-won expressed his personal opinion, saying, "I can't help but expect Kim Hyun-soo or Choi Hyung-woo's defense."

He said, "If you play first base, your value will be much higher. No matter how much you practice as an outfielder, you can fall below the league average, and as a first baseman, you are expected to defend above the league average. "I think playing first base will be much appreciated in defense, base running and offense," he said with a smile.

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*This content was translated by AI.