*This content was translated by AI.
382 hits, including an unprecedented 3,000 hits. It is a record that can only be achieved by playing more than two more seasons, but the king of hits' career is on the verge of stopping as it is. Will Son Ah-seop (38) continue his career dramatically.
Son Ah-seop's original club Hanwha left the first spring camp for Melbourne, Australia on the 23rd. Internal free agent (FA) Kim Bum-soo signed with the KIA Tigers, but Son Ah-seop finally failed to deliver good news until the team boarded a flight to Australia.
It's definitely a shame to end my career yet. There is also a firm goal to keep the No. 1 overall hit in the KBO and challenge the record of 3,000 hits for the first time in history. Will Son still have a way to extend his career.
Of the 21 players in the FA market, 19 visited the nest except for Son Ah-seop's close senior Hwang Jae-kyun (39), who chose to retire. Son Ah-seop remains the only FA Mia.
Son Ah-seop, who graduated from elementary, middle and high school in Busan, started his professional career with Lotte Giants in 2007 and recorded a batting average of 0.319 (2,618 hits in 8205 at-bats), 182 home runs, 1086 RBIs and 1,400 runs, an on-base percentage of 0.391, a slugging percentage of 0.451, and an on-base percentage (OPS) of 0.842 in 2,169 games during the 19 seasons.
Son Ah-seop, who remained at Lotte for four years and 9.8 billion won after finishing the 2017 season with a successful career, moved to the NC Dinos after the end of the 2021 season and signed a four-year contract for 6.4 billion won. Last year, the last season of his four-year contract, Son was traded to Hanwha at the end of July. Hanwha, aiming to win, invested in Son Ah-seop's elaborate batting and rich experience.
In 111 games last season, he had a batting average of 0.288 (107 hits in 372 times at bat), one homer, 50 RBIs and 39 runs, a on-base percentage of 0.352, a slugging percentage of 0.371, and an OPS of 0.723. After moving to Hanwha, he had a batting average of 0.265 and failed to take advantage of Son's strengths.
Son Ah-seop, who came to the market as the third FA, has to pay 150% of the previous year's annual salary without compensation if he recruits Son Ah-seop from another team with grade C. The team that wants Son Ah-seop must invest 750 million won in compensation. It is difficult to say that it is a very attractive card for other teams because he is a veteran who became the batting king in 2023 but has been on the decline for two seasons since then.
Hanwha, which does not need compensation, also cannot afford it. He recruited Kang Baek-ho (four years and 10 billion won) and is expected to alternate with Chae Eun-sung at first base, leaving him with no room for the designated hitter position. Even if Kang Baek-ho is in charge of the outfield, Moon Hyun-bin and Jonathan Peraza also have to use it.
However, he showed strong performance in big games with an exemplary attitude and rich experience in baseball and a batting average of 0.333 (7 hits in 21 at-bats) in the Korean Series. He is a batter who can be of sufficient help to Hanwha, which has left a regret in the first Korean series in 19 years.
If there is no price burden, you can invest as Hanwha, but the situation is not good. The annual salaries of the players who rebounded last year rose significantly, and Roh Si-hwan signed a record high of 1 billion won in his eighth year, but negotiations on a multi-year contract with non-FA are underway, so if the contract is completed, the competitive balance (salary cap) will disappear further.
Noh Si-hwan, who was more happy than anyone else to share the same rice with a player from Busan and a respected senior, is likely not to be with him this year. Son Ah-seop's retirement is unfortunate not only for himself but also for baseball fans, but in reality, the last possibility depends on his will.
Age itself cannot be seen as an obstacle. Kim Hyun-soo (38) moved to KT Wiz for three years and 5 billion won, Kang Min-ho (41) stayed at Samsung for two years and two billion won, and Choi Hyung-woo (43) also returned to his former team Samsung for two years and 2.6 billion won.
The difference is how much it can help the team. It is possible to interpret that each club did not feel much attraction to Son Ah-seop compared to these players. Of course, it is not easy to suddenly demand a long shot from Son Ah-seop, who has never hit a double-digit home run in five seasons, but there may be enough demand if he can perform with a sophisticated hit and an OPS of 0.8 or higher like in 2023.
In the end, signing contracts with options as collateral for such activities or seeking sign-and-trade based on them is expected to be the most realistic alternative in the current situation at the brink.
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*This content was translated by AI.
