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| Interest is focused on whether Doosan Yu Hee-Kwan will be able to break through the cold wave of the free agency market and find an agreement with the elemental team. Reporter Dohoon Kim [email protected] |
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[스포츠서울 최민우 기자] Will Yu Hee-gwan be able to reach an agreement with Doosan through the cold wave of the free agent (FA) market?
Doosan succeeded in capturing beasts such as Heo Gyeong-min, Sue-bin Su and Kim Jae-ho among the free agent players in this Stove League. Doosan’s attention now is on the pitching part. In Doosan, Yu Hee-gwan and Lee Yong-chan have declared free agents. Both players are franchise stars, leading the advancement to the Korean series for six consecutive years. Since Doosan catches necessary players but refrains from excessive spending, attention is focused on the’appropriate amount’ both sides want. Doosan first negotiated with Yu Hee-gwan. It is reported that the first official free agency negotiation table was held on the 11th. A Doosan official said, “We are trying to find a point of agreement with each other in a reasonable way,” and “We will arrange a schedule and meet again.”
In the case of Yu Hee-Kwan, you can find a point of contact with Lee Hyun-seung. Both are left-handed pitchers and obtained free agency qualifications in their mid-30s. After completing the 2016 season, Lee Hyun-seung applied for a free agency, and signed a contract with Doosan for the three-year total amount of 2.7 billion won (down payment 1.2 billion won, annual salary 400 million won, incentive 300 million won). Lee Hyun-seung played an active part as a closer, leading Doosan to win the Korean Series for the second consecutive year. At the time, there was not much demand for bullpen pitchers, and due to a considerable age and sluggishness from injuries, we were unable to win a large contract. Doosan wanted a two-year contract and Lee Hyun-seung four-year contracts, but both sides gave up one step at a time and drew a reasonable contract.
Currently, the biggest obstacle to Yu Hee-Kwan is me. On record, Yoo Hee-gwan is showing a decrease in innings over the years. He was responsible for 189.2 innings in the 2015 season, but only 136.1 innings last season. The club is also concerned about aging. The market situation is also not good here. Old players are having a cold winter as each club has established a policy to foster young players. The situation on the pitcher’s side is particularly bad. Only Woo Gyu-min has renewed the contract with Samsung, the subsidiary team, for up to KRW 1 billion a year, but there is no news of the contract.
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| Doosan coach Tae-Hyung Kim (left) is handing a bouquet to Yoo Hee-gwan, who achieved 10th win of the season in the away game against KIA held at the Gwangju-KIA Champions Field on the 29th. Provided by = Doosan Bears |
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This winter, Doosan is investing in essential resources. The amount invested so far is 16.6 billion won. Considering the economic downturn caused by the new coronavirus infection (Corona 19) and the situation of the club, this is a lot of money. However, in the event of a massive outflow of players, the decline in performance was obvious, so bold investment was made. It is also true that Doosan currently has no left-handed pitcher to replace Yu Hee-Kwan, who has won 10 wins for 7 consecutive years. If Yoo Hee-gwan also leaves Doosan, he has to take the risk of a new challenge. I wonder if we can find an amicable agreement when we need each other.
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