Park Jin-man reveals directly! "Foreign investor and Aqwo are both being investigated; with Huardo out, Kim Baek-san will step in"

*This content was translated by AI.

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Samsung Lions, who finished the first half in first place, are urgently working to rebuild their pitching staff. Facing a major setback with the sudden departure of ace Ariel Huardo due to shoulder injury, Samsung manager Park Jin-man (50) directly outlined a concrete roadmap for managing the pitching rotation in the second half and acquiring replacement players. The Asia quota replacement process has also been effectively formalized.

Ahead of the home game against Lotte Giants at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 16th, manager Park Jin-man stated, "The starting spot left vacant by Huardo will initially be filled by rookie Kim Baek-san," adding that "the club is moving quickly to secure both a replacement foreign pitcher and an Asia quota player."

The most urgent issue is the hole created in the starting rotation due to Huardo's departure. Facing unexpected challenges from the first weekend series of the second half, manager Park chose a direct approach.

Manager Park officially confirmed, "Among the current five-man starting rotation, Kim Baek-san will step into the spot left by Huardo." Although two replacement starters are needed for this weekend's three-game series, considering the limited number of position players and the constraints on pitcher entries, the club has decided to fully secure three starting resources. Consequently, Chris Fedick was added to the first-division roster ahead of the 16th game.

While Kim Baek-san temporarily fills Huardo's gap, the club front office is thoroughly scanning the foreign player market for fundamental pitching reinforcement. Manager Park explained, "The club is moving very quickly," adding, "We are exploring all options, not only new foreign players but also the Asia quota (Aqwo), conducting comprehensive and close-range investigations from multiple angles." According to manager Park Jin-man, the Asia quota search covers both starting pitchers and relief pitchers, actively seeking available resources across the board.

Jang Chan-hee, who served as one of six starters in the first half and was expected to take on a long-relief role in the second half, now faces a more fluid usage plan due to pitching staff changes. Manager Park added, "Originally, our plan for the end of the first half was to use Jang Chan-hee as a long reliever in the second half, but with Huardo's departure, we now need one additional starting backup. If necessary, he could go through a buildup phase and start in early August."

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*This content was translated by AI.