*This content was translated by AI.
"Uncontracted FA" Son Ah-seop has no intention of retiring yet. "If it's too much to compete with young friends, I throw a towel then."→ I'm still confident"
Son Ah-seop (38, former Hanwha Eagles), the "living legend" who holds the record for the most hits in the KBO League, announced a firm standard for his retirement. There has been no news of the signing of a free agent (FA) contract yet, but he expressed his willingness to remain confident in the competition with young players, stressing that he has no intention of retirement.
Son Ah-seop appeared as a guest with Ryu Hyun-jin (39, Hanwha Eagles), Bae Ji-hyun, and Hwang Jae-kyun (39, KT Wiz retired) on the YouTube channel "Salty Brother Shin Dong-yeop," which was released on the 2nd, and expressed his sincerity when asked about the end of his career. Since the video was filmed on December 10 last year, it was at the time Hwang Jae-gyun was seriously considering retiring from active duty.
In the video, Son Ah-seop cited the "retirement period" as his biggest concern. He said, "There are more important criteria than the question of whether to add one more year or two more years."
Son Ah-seop said, "Young friends keep hitting me. There will be a moment when I will compete with these friends and feel that it is too much now, he said. "My idea is that I should throw a towel (towel) neatly at that time." It's not just a number of years, but a 'winner's' belief that he will step down without regret when he believes that his ability does not contribute to the team.
However, Son immediately expressed his pride as a veteran. "It might sound a little cheeky, but at the moment, it's not too much to compete with young friends," he said. "I want to continue playing baseball until I can and until I'm confident of winning. So far, I'm confident," he stressed.
Son Ah-seop, who is the main character of the "KBO League's most hits" with 2,618 hits, is still an issue in the baseball world. Son Ah-seop is the hitter who has hit the most hits in KBO league history, but he has yet to find a new team after his third FA declaration. Son Ah-seop, who was traded from the NC Dinos to the Hanwha Eagles in the 2025 season, exercised his FA rights after hitting a batting average of 0.288 (107 hits in 372 times at bat) and a home run and 50 RBIs (on-base plus slugging) of 0.723.
However, Son Ah-seop's FA contract status continues. Son Ah-seop's future is still unknown until now on the 3rd when all 10 clubs will play spring camp. There is also a question mark over whether Son Ah-seop will be able to play the 2026 season. However, as Hanwha proposed to Son Ah-seop to accept some of the player's demands, the former club said that the possibility for a negotiation has slightly increased from January.
Son Ah-seop also revealed his realistic concerns. Referring to Hwang Jae-kyun, who was deeply concerned about retirement at the time, Son Ah-seop said in the video of "Salty Brother Shin Dong-yeop," "My thoughts and the club's view may be different. "Sometimes there may be situations where you are forced to retire," he admitted, but showed a strong will for the 2026 season, saying, "It's my personal opinion, but it's still worth competing with my juniors for the upcoming season."
Son Ah-seop also does not hide his dream of a milestone of 3,000 hits in his career. However, this winter is flowing harsher than ever for Son Ah-seop, who is precious to each game and at-bat. Will news of a dramatic deal be delivered.
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*This content was translated by AI.
