'How could this be?' The winner of the 'major trade' between Lotte and Doosan has changed again.

*This content was translated by AI.

As unprecedented heat waves brought the KBO League to a halt, one name drew attention among fans: Lotte Giants pitcher Jung Cheol-won.

Jung Cheol-won has been removed from the first-division roster again. It was on the 8th, when there were no games due to the 'heat wave break.' Reports indicate he does not have any special injuries. This marks the fourth time this season that Jung has been removed from the first-division roster.

Previously, Jung was removed from the first-division roster for ten days each from April 19 to 28 and from June 3 to 12. He then spent nearly a month on the first division from June 25 to July 20. Now, he has been notified again to move to the minor league.

Jung Cheol-won joined Doosan Bears as the 20th overall pick in the second round of the 2018 rookie draft. He made his first-division debut in the 2022 season under then-Doosan manager Kim Tae-hyung, who is now the Lotte manager. In his debut year, he appeared in 58 games, recording 4 wins, 3 losses, 3 saves, 23 holds, and a 3.10 ERA, earning Rookie of the Year honors.

A major change came for Jung, who had been active as Doosan's bullpen pitcher, in November 2024. At that time, Doosan executed a massive 2-for-3 trade, sending pitchers Jung Cheol-won and infielder Jeon Min-jae to Lotte in exchange for outfielder Kim Min-seok, pitcher Choi Woo-in, and Cho Jae-hyun from Lotte.

Since the trade involved giving up one more player than received (three players sent out), expectations for Jung Cheol-won could not have been higher than ever. Last season, Jung appeared in 75 games, recording 2 wins, 1 loss, 6 saves, 1 hold, and a 4.24 ERA (70 innings, 72 hits allowed, 28 walks, 55 strikeouts, 34 runs, 33 earned runs), fulfilling his role. Meanwhile, Jeon Min-jae also appeared in 101 games last season, posting a .287 batting average (331 at-bats, 95 hits), 5 home runs, 34 RBIs, a .337 on-base percentage, and a .378 slugging percentage, growing into a starting-level infielder.

Up until then, many said Lotte was the winner of the trade. After all, Kim Min-seok, who came to Doosan, failed to show significant performance last season. He appeared in 95 games, finishing with a .228 batting average, 1 home run, 21 RBIs, a .269 on-base percentage, and a .298 slugging percentage. Additionally, Cho Jae-hyun left Doosan after being selected by Kiwoom Heroes in the second draft last year. Furthermore, Choi Woo-in is still waiting for his first-division debut.

However, this trade is being reevaluated again this season because Kim Min-seok is dominating and having a career-high season. Kim Min-seok appeared in 93 games this season, recording a .315 batting average (305 at-bats, 96 hits), 4 home runs, 16 doubles, 2 triples, 36 RBIs, 40 runs scored, 2 stolen bases (0 failed), 38 walks, 61 strikeouts, a .393 on-base percentage, a .420 slugging percentage, an OPS (on-base + slugging) of 0.813, a batting average with runners in scoring position of .381, and a pinch-hit batting average of .375, securing a spot in Doosan's outfield.

In contrast, Jung Cheol-won appeared in 34 games this season, recording 1 win, 2 losses, 3 holds, and a 6.75 ERA. Over a total of 28 innings, he allowed 33 hits (3 home runs), issued 14 walks, recorded 21 strikeouts, gave up 21 runs (21 earned), blew 2 saves, posted a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) of 1.68, and had a batting average against of .306, moving between the first division and minor league.

Still, it is extremely fortunate for Lotte that Jeon Min-jae has played an invaluable role this season. Appearing in 97 games, he recorded a .272 batting average (316 at-bats, 86 hits), 8 home runs, 16 doubles, 51 RBIs, 33 runs scored, 9 stolen bases (3 failed), 22 walks, 72 strikeouts, a .323 on-base percentage, a .399 slugging percentage, an OPS of 0.722, a batting average with runners in scoring position of .272, and a pinch-hit batting average of .500. Above all, his true value is most evident in defense. Kim Tae-hyung Manager said, "I really feel that (Jeon) Min-jae has risen this high. He is showing very stable performance even in defense. In a way, he has become a leader," offering high praise without holding back.

Of course, if Jung Cheol-won revives again after next year, the evaluation of this trade will change. Will Jung Cheol-won, who received instructions to move to the minor league for the fourth time this season, show what kind of performance in the remaining part of the season?

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*This content was translated by AI.