Lotte's new manager announcement delayed until the playoffs? With less than two weeks left before the fall camp, "The players are waiting too"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Will the announcement of Lotte Giants' next manager ultimately be postponed until the postseason (PO) period? More than ten days have passed since the end of the regular season without any new news, and as next month's fall camp approaches, the players' wait is growing longer.

Lotte concluded its 2026 season with a final game against the Doosan Bears on the 12th, finishing with a record of 64 wins, 3 draws, and 77 losses (a .454 winning percentage) in seventh place. This marks their ninth consecutive postseason elimination since 2017. Kim Tae-hyung (59), who was hired in October 2023 for a three-year contract worth a total of 2.4 billion won, has completed his entire contract term with a record of finishing seventh, seventh, and seventh.

Among the managers whose contracts expired this year, Hanwha Eagles parted ways with Manager Kim Kyung-moon (68) and appointed Manager Ryu Ji-hyun (55), while KT Wiz re-signed Manager Lee Kang-cheol (60) for a three-year contract worth a total of 3.4 billion won. All announcements were made to avoid game days ahead of the postseason period. Hanwha announced the appointment of Manager Ryu Ji-hyun on the 13th, ahead of the Wild Card Series, and KT revealed the re-signing of Manager Lee Kang-cheol on the 19th, a travel day for the Junior Playoffs.

This is why it is being discussed that if no announcement is made today, Lotte's announcement may be delayed until the playoffs. A baseball figure familiar with Lotte's situation said, "It seems Lotte is still deliberating. Still, won't they announce (the manager) before the fall camp?" predicting an appointment during the postseason period.

The best-of-five playoff series between the KIA Tigers and Samsung Lions begins on the 25th in Daegu. The second game is scheduled for the 26th, the third for the 28th, and the fourth for the 29th. If the series extends to a fifth game, the final showdown will take place in Daegu on the 31st. The 27th and 30th are travel days between games. If the playoffs proceed to a fifth game, a Korea Series media day is scheduled for the following day, November 1. Starting from the 2nd, the Korea Series between KT and the playoff winner will begin.

Postponing until the Korea Series is complicated by the fall camp. Lotte plans to hold its fall camp in Miyazaki, Japan, starting November 4. If the manager's appointment is announced only after the playoffs conclude, there will be just four days left before the camp begins.

As the decision drags on, unconfirmed rumors have also been emerging one after another. Names of candidates for the manager position are being mentioned regardless of whether they are Lotte alumni or not, and even the possibility of appointing current coaches or commentators as general managers has been raised. Eventually, on the 21st, the club directly clarified that reports suggesting Special Advisor Takatsu Shingo (58) was offered the manager position or recommended as a general manager candidate were groundless.

Lotte's cautious stance is not beyond understanding, as evaluations of this year's roster have been divided. There are also positive perspectives. This year, Lotte set a first-in-KBO-League record among its 10 teams by having all five starting pitchers exceed the qualifying innings (144 innings). The team ERA was also 4.72, ranking fifth in the league. They also identified promising resources such as rookie Park Jung-min (23) and Japanese Asian quota pitcher Iimura Shota (28).

In the position players, catcher Son Seong-bin (24), second baseman Ko Seung-min (26), and shortstop Jeon Min-jae (27) have established themselves as competitive regulars, and third baseman Han Dong-hee (27) has finally begun to live up to expectations. This is the background for evaluations that the team has the potential to contend in the postseason if appropriate external reinforcements are made.

On the other hand, there are also points noting that further fundamental improvements are needed due to underperforming foreign pitchers, disappointing offensive production from domestic players, and unstable defense. This year, Lotte finished last with 113 team home runs and eighth with a slugging percentage of .398. Whether to challenge for the top five immediately through aggressive power reinforcement or to further solidify the foundation of the roster could be an important criterion in choosing the next manager.

In addition, General Manager Park Jun-hyuk (48) is also in a situation where his future has not been settled as he enters his final year of tenure. Since it cannot be ruled out that both the manager and general manager will be replaced, the club's deliberations are deepening. It is known that a re-signing with Manager Kim is included among the final considerations, given that he built the foundation of the roster over the past three years without major external free agent reinforcements.

It is not only fans who are waiting for the arrival of a new manager. Currently, excluding the promising players participating in the KBO Fall League being held at Ulsan Munsu Baseball Stadium, most Lotte players, including captain Jeon Jun-woo (40) and Kim Won-jung (33), are conducting fall training at Sajik Baseball Stadium. As both the players and front office wait for the announcement of the next manager, the club is continuing preparations to ensure the camp can proceed as soon as the appointment process is completed.

It is necessary for the club to carefully decide on the next manager. However, the players have already begun preparing for the 2027 season, and since the composition of the coaching staff and training direction may change according to the new manager's vision, a decision is now needed.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original