Newly appointed Lotte Giants manager Lee Dong-wook has firmly locked in two key decisions! "Pursuing re-signing of Reyes → Han Dong-hee as starting third baseman"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Manager Lee Dong-wook, who has taken over as the new skipper of the Lotte Giants, clearly declared two core outlines of his plan for the new season from his very first day in office. These are the unconditional pursuit of a re-signing with "foreign luck-bringer" Victor Reyes and the designation of infield power hitter Han Dong-hee as the "starting third baseman."

Manager Lee attended the inauguration ceremony and official press conference for the 22nd Lotte Giants manager, held at 2 p.m. on the 31st in the Athens Room on the 41st floor of the Busan Lotte Hotel, where he shared his impressions of taking office and detailed the team's future operational direction.

Among the issues that drew the most intense attention during the Q&A session with reporters that day was the composition of foreign players. In particular, regarding whether Reyes, who has emerged as one of the best hitters in the KBO League, would be re-signed, Manager Lee showed a decisive stance without a single second of hesitation.

Manager Lee stated bluntly, "Reyes is a player we must not fail to re-sign." He added, "We cannot choose not to re-sign a player who has hit more than 600 hits over three years," and emphasized, "While the contract terms are a matter of negotiation between the club and the player's side, as the field manager, I firmly believe we must move forward with Reyes unconditionally."

Regarding the composition of foreign pitchers for the new season, Manager Lee added, "I am in constant communication with General Manager Lee Tae-geun. I have also received reports from the staff member in charge of foreign players on the supply situation." He continued, "Since Rodriguez and Vesely performed well this season by demonstrating good abilities, we are keeping various possibilities open and observing the situation broadly."

Another surprise announcement was the clarification of Han Dong-hee's position. Before the inauguration ceremony, Manager Lee visited the stadium directly to closely observe the team's training process. Having kept a close eye on Han Dong-hee's defensive performance during this time, Manager Lee firmly settled the matter regarding his position for next season.

While acknowledging that "there has been much talk about whether Han Dong-hee will become a third baseman or not," Manager Lee did not hold back his praise, stating, "However, Han Dong-hee possesses innate talent and has a natural smoothness in his defensive movements." He further expressed his confidence by saying, "I clearly have the intention to use Han Dong-hee as the starting third baseman next season. That is why I went to the baseball field to check more carefully with my own eyes."

In addition, Manager Lee revealed that he is deeply considering three candidates—Jeon Jun-woo, Kim Won-jung, and Han Dong-hee—in the process of selecting a new team captain for the 2027 season, signaling the start of formal team restructuring.

Having emphasized "smart baseball" as his first official statement upon taking office, Manager Lee announced a solid start by immediately declaring his pursuit of Reyes' retention and the clarification of Han Dong-hee's position, which were the club's most urgent tasks and a major point of interest for fans.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original