Why I broke up with the '7 billion' starter and went 'all-in' to the bullpen...Who is LG's 5th starter? There are even "Triple Crown" in the 2nd division and "Alternative."
Why I broke up with the '7 billion' starter and went 'all-in' to the bullpen...Who is LG's 5th starter? There are even "Triple Crown" in the 2nd division and "Alternative."
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LG Twins has made many changes this winter. What stands out the most is the mound. Immediately after the start of the stove league, LG recruited Jang Hyun-sik and reinforced the bullpen by signing a four-year contract guaranteeing 5.2 billion won (1.6 billion won in down payment and 3.6 billion won in annual salary). As a result, chances are naturally low that Choi Won-tae, who has become a free agent, will meet again. As LG already exceeded its salary cap once in 2024, it was burdensome to exceed it twice.
As everyone expected, Choi will leave LG. He signed a four-year contract worth 7 billion won (2.4 billion won for down payment, 3.4 billion won for salary, and 1.2 billion won for incentives) in December, and decided to wear the Samsung Lions starting from the 2025 season. In response, LG secured resources for the bullpen once again by signing a three-plus-year contract worth 1.4 billion won (500 million won for down payment, 900 million won for annual salary) with Kim Kang-ryul, who became a free agent a few days later.메이저사이트
It is clear why LG broke up with Choi Won-tae and poured everything into reinforcing the bullpen. Ham Deok-ju was put on the operating table again after the 2024 season, and Yoo Young-chan, who completely filled Ko's void last year, also underwent surgery due to fatigue fracture of his elbow. In order to regain the glory of "integrated championship" in 2023, the team decided to secure two proven bullpen pitchers rather than keeping one starter and accumulate as many wins as possible until Ham and Yoo return.
It certainly did not meet expectations after wearing the LG uniform, but Choi Won-tae could expect double-digit wins and 7-9 wins by playing at least 100 innings. However, LG's "all-in" to the bullpen is because the players who will play the starting role are ready. Although it is not in perfect condition, the candidates are clearly structured. Coach Yeom Kyung-yeop, who met with reporters at the 2025 team's New Year's greeting on the 8th, had time to talk about the 5th starter, expressing his intention to catch both the performance and development.
Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop said, "It is a season where the growth of fielders and middle pitchers is essential for LG's plan in the future," but added, "We also need to foster the starting pitcher because the fifth starting position is empty." Currently, the candidates for LG's fifth starting pitcher are Song Seung-ki, Woo Kang-hoon, Lee Ji-gang and Choi Chae-heung. Currently, Song Seung-ki is the most likely player to play the role of the fifth starting pitcher in manager Yeom Kyung-yeop's head. Song Seung-ki was nominated by LG in 2021 with the 87th overall ranking in the second ninth round.
Song Seung-ki is a player who played only seven games in 2022 (one loss, ERA 5.40) and one game in 2023 in the first division, but he left 5-1 with a 2.82 ERA in 16 appearances in Sangmu in 2023, and last year, he ranked first in the multiple wins, four losses and ERA and strikeouts, including one shutout in 20 games. It is undeniable that there is a big gap between the first and second divisions, but he intends to provide a chance first as he made remarkable results in the second division. However, the game can change through spring camp.
Woo Kang-hoon has a ball power that even first-team players cannot easily touch if he is caught as a side-arm pitcher who can spray fastballs in the mid-150km range. Lee Ji-gang has four wins, eight losses, three holds, one save, and an ERA of 4.27 in 57 games, while Choi Chae-heung, who wears LG's uniform as a reward for Choi Won-tae, has so much experience as a starting pitcher that he won 11 games in 2020. It would not be strange for anyone to take the fifth starting position.
However, baseball is as planned, and there are alternatives as things are not going as desired. It is Lee Jung-yong. Since June of the 2023 season, Lee has pitched in 13 games as a starter, recording four wins, two losses and an ERA of 4.01. Although he has not played many games since joining the military, he has been constantly preparing for the starting lineup. Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop said, "If we fail to secure starting resources among Song Seung-ki, Choi Chae-heung, Lee Ji-gang and Woo Kang-hoon, we will use Lee Jung-yong, who will be discharged from the military, as a starting pitcher.
"This is an important point for LG to become stronger this season and going forward only when its five starting pitchers grow in the first half of the year," Yeom Kyung-yeop said. "However, there is an alternative to when the team failed to develop five starting pitchers in the first half of the year. (Lee) Jung-yong will come back as a starter," adding, "Choi can be used as an intermediate pitcher. For now, a player who will be eliminated from the fifth starting pitcher will be included in the long relief."
Although the list has not been made public yet, LG is planning to bring quite a few players to the Arizona camp in the U.S. As all positions will be the same, competition is expected to be fierce especially for the 5th starting position where "blank" is prominent. Who will be the fifth starting member of LG in the 2025 season.