[Official Announcement] Hanwha to Overhaul Roster After Manager and GM Departure; Parting Ways with Kim Kyung-moon Coaching Staff, Including Coaches Yang Sang-moon, Yang Seung-gwan, Kim Min-ho, and Kim Jae-geol

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

With Manager Kim Kyung-moon's departure, the coaching staff that led the team alongside him are also leaving the Hanwha Eagles one after another.

The Hanwha Eagles announced on the 12th, "We have decided not to renew contracts with head coach Yang Seung-gwan (67), as well as coaches Yang Sang-moon (65), Kim Min-ho (65), and Kim Jae-geol (54)."

Manager Kim Kyung-moon took office in June 2024. He appointed Coach Yang Seung-gwan to the head coach position, a figure with whom he had worked together during his tenure as manager of the NC Dinos.

Even more attention was drawn to pitching coach Yang Sang-moon. A renowned former pitching coach, Yang had served as manager for the Lotte Giants and later as both manager and general manager for the LG Twins. After serving again as Lotte's manager and working as a commentator, he joined Hanwha to take charge of the pitching staff at Manager Kim Kyung-moon's earnest request.

He guided the resurgence of Kim Seo-hyun, who had struggled to find his footing despite being drafted by Hanwha with the first overall pick. By helping him regain mental stability, he enabled Kim to leverage his strengths despite his control weaknesses, resulting in 33 saves last year. Last season, led by Cody Ponce and Ryan Weiss, he guided Hanwha to a top-ranked ERA (3.55), providing the foundation for the team's appearance in the Korea Series for the first time in 19 years.

However, the pitching staff wavered from the start of this season, and as his health deteriorated, he was moved to the role of reserve pitching coach, concluding the season without a major turnaround.

Coach Kim Min-ho, who had worked with Manager Kim during their time at NC, also found himself packing up his bags as Manager Kim Kyung-moon left the team following the end of the season.

Hanwha has also decided not to continue working with Coach Kim Jae-geol, who joined the team at the start of the 2024 season—just before Manager Kim Kyung-moon's appointment—and was responsible for strategy and base running, after this season concludes.

Following the departures of Manager Kim Kyung-moon and General Manager Son Hyuk, Hanwha is also moving to restructure its coaching staff, signaling a major change. The club stated, "We plan to accelerate the selection process for the coaching staff once the manager appointment is finalized."

Meanwhile, Ryu Ji-hyun (55), who led the national team to advance to the second round of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) and win a gold medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, is being cited as a leading candidate for Hanwha's next manager.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original