Even after giving up Hanwha's one-and-only club man... 'ERA 3.00→32.40' Shocking trade results within a week: 'Removed from the first-division roster', what happened to the KIA transfer player?

*This content was translated by AI.

Veteran right-hander Lee Hyung-beom (32), who recently joined Hanwha Eagles via trade, has been removed from the first-division roster.

Hanwha announced on the 1st that it had excluded Lee Hyung-beom from its first-division roster ahead of its away game against KT Wiz at SuwonKT Wiz Park in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season.

On the previous day (July 31), with the score tied 3-3 and one out with a runner on first base, Lee Hyung-beom allowed a two-run double to Heo Kyung-min through left-center field and a two-RBI single to Han Seung-taek through right-center field, surrendering the lead.

Facing continued poor performance, Kim Kyung-moon, manager of Hanwha, made a decisive move. Lee Hyung-beom began the season with KIA this year and was traded in a one-for-one deal on the 23rd with infielder Ha Joo-seok (32). The trade became a topic of discussion because it involved Hanwha's one-and-only club man, Ha Joo-seok.

Ha Joo-seok joined Hanwha after being selected first overall in the first round of the 2012 KBO Rookie Draft following his graduation from Sinil High School and played exclusively for Hanwha for 15 years. However, he lost the team's trust due to several incidents, including drunk driving, and found no room for growth among promising young players.

Unlike Ha Joo-seok, who was pushed out of the lineup as a non-essential player, Lee Hyung-beom had not performed poorly this year, posting an ERA of 3.00 in 19 games, with 24 innings pitched, 16 walks and hit-by-pitches (14 walks, 2 hit by pitch), and 15 strikeouts, making the trade seem unexpected.

However, just a week after the trade, his performance record turned out to be the exact opposite of expectations. While Ha Joo-seok has been thriving with a .350 batting average (7 hits in 25 at-bats), 5 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.940 over six games, Lee Hyung-beom has allowed runs in every game since joining Hanwha, posting a 32.40 ERA over three games with 1⅔ innings pitched and 6 earned runs, showing signs of instability.

Hanwha, which has been hovering around the .500 win-loss threshold, also needed a change in atmosphere. Before the game on the 1st, Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon stated, "Fans have given us a lot of support, but we haven't been able to satisfy them. Even when we lose games, the content should be meaningful, but from my perspective, it hasn't been."

He continued, "In baseball, if you can't score in scoring opportunities, the momentum shifts to the opposing team. There is a clear difference between teams that capitalize on chances and those that don't, and this also changes the flow of the game. From now on will be the real turning point. I want to show fans better games in the remaining matches."

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*This content was translated by AI.