*This content was translated by AI.
LG Twins' Park Dong-won (36) wanted his third win, not an FA (free agent), even in the last year of his contract.
Before leaving the 2026 LG Spring Camp on the 22nd, Park Dong-won met with reporters at Incheon International Airport and said, "I've been really busy during the offseason. I worked out hard, and if I go to the camp with my team members and work well together, I think I will be able to perform well this year," he said.
LG, which won its fourth integrated championship last year, is trying to win its second consecutive Korean Series title. The second consecutive Korean Series is a difficult task to see in modern baseball as Doosan Bears are the last in the 2015-2016 season.
However, LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop showed strong confidence. Coach Yeom said at the New Year's greeting, "I think the 2025 championship is really a victory made by giving us a chance like heaven," adding, "This is the fourth season at LG, and I think it will be the most stable and prepared spring camp."
In response, Park Dong-won, who has been working with manager Yeom since the days of the Nexen Heroes (current Kiwoom Heroes), also responded that it was unexpected. Park Dong-won said with a smile, "I always say I'm confident with the players, but I don't think you've ever said that to the media," adding, "I think you said that because most of the winning players remain."
"It won't be easy because (Kim) Hyun-soo went out. In fact, I kept in touch with Hyun-soo often, so I thought we were playing baseball together," he said, adding, "Two years ago, there was a lot of bleeding, with (the late) Woo-seok going to the U.S., (Kim) Min-sung going to Lotte, and (Lee) Jung-yong going to the military. So it was hard, but if someone (Kim) Hyun-soo fills it well this year, I think he will do well," he added.
Lee Jae-won (27), a promising right-handed slugger who was discharged from the military athletic unit, will be mentioned as a rising star who will fill Kim Hyun-soo's vacancy. Last year, Lee Jae-won bombed the second-tier league with a batting average of 0.329 (91 hits in 277 at-bats) of 26 home runs, 91 RBIs and 81 points, and an on-base percentage of 0.457 slugging percentage of 0.643 in 78 games in the Futures League.
In response to the expectations, Park Dong-won also tried to ease the burden. Park Dong-won said, "Everyone knows that (Lee) Jae-won is a strong player. But since I've never run full-time, expectations will all be different. Still, I think it will be a great help to the team because they prepare well in the military. I think a strong colleague came in," he said with a smile.
Park Dong-won's four-year 6.5 billion won contract with LG ahead of the 2023 season is considered the best FA case. As soon as Park Dong-won came, he won the Korean Series for the first time in 29 years and recaptured the throne again in two years. Although the contract has already been terminated, he is the subject of a multi-year contract discussion with Hong Chang-ki because he still boasts clutch ability and skills.
For now, negotiations on the multi-year contract have stopped, but Park Dong-won's perception that this year is the last year of the FA was also faint. Park Dong-won said, "I've never thought about it being the last year of the FA. When you suddenly said it, I thought, "This could be my last spring camp at LG."
"I just couldn't wait to meet our players at the camp site. I was looking forward to the new season because I thought of preparing it happily and happily together. So I often talked to players with advance teams. I don't have any special thoughts other than that," he stressed.
It was a Korean Series victory over the catcher Golden Glove, who has never won a prize. Park Dong-won said, "It would be great to receive the Golden Glove, but first of all, the championship comes first. To be honest, I thought it would not be easy to win every year when LG came. I thought it would be nice to do it at least twice or three times if there were many, but my goal was achieved with number two. If I do it one more time, I don't think there's anything I can ask for anymore," he said.
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*This content was translated by AI.
