Chung Chan-heon has surgery, Seo Gun-chang is on the second team for three months…
LG and Kiwoom made one of the most impactful deals of the season ahead of the trade deadline in late July. Choi Won-tae, a starting pitcher needed to win the Korean Series, went to LG, while LG’s top prospect Lee Ju-hyung joined Kiwoom. It was a rare major league-style deal for the KBO.
It’s no secret that LG is desperate to win the title. Kiwoom is a different organization than the other nine teams. This uniqueness is what made the deal happen. It’s a deal that’s still hard to come by in the KBO. The success of this deal will be determined in the first round this fall. If LG wins the Korean Series, the deal will be a huge success for LG, not Kiwoom.
However, the two teams also made a big deal at this time two years ago. They made the decision to trade Seo Gun-chang (LG) for Chung Chan-heon (Kiwoom) during the break at the end of the first half. At the time, LG was adamant that they needed to bolster their weak second base for the big game. Seo was on a downward spiral with Kiwoom, but there was also confidence that he would bounce back.
Kiwoom, on the other hand, was short on starting pitchers as Ahn Woo-jin and Han Hyun-hee (Lotte) were suspended at the same time due to the COVID-19 sobriety scandal. The deal was not a major league deal like this one, but rather a strictly interest deal. What both deals have in common is that LG’s Cha Myung-seok made the first move.
This deal is just over two years old. Now it’s time to start pulling out the income statement. Professional sports is a living thing, and no one knows what other stories will emerge next year, but at this point, it’s more of a loose, loose deal.
Seo fell into a deeper hole at LG. In 2021, he played in all 144 games and hit .253 with six home runs, 52 RBIs, and 78 runs scored. At the time, there was a lot of talk that this wasn’t a return to his 200-hit form, but looking back over the next two years, 2021 was his best. In 2022, he hit .224 with two home runs and 18 RBIs in 77 games, and in 2023, he hit .207 with 12 RBIs in 31 games.
During his 200-hit season, he was reunited with his manager, Yoon Kyung-yup. Yoon pointed out Seo’s good days, but Seo was unable to return. In the end, Shin Min-jae took over at second base for LG. Seo hasn’t played in a first-team game since May 14 against Samsung. He hit .267 with 19 RBIs in 29 games in the Futures League and .306 in his last 10 games. But this reality is a tragedy for both LG and Seo.
Jeong has had a comparative advantage over Seo over the past two years. He finished the 2021 season with a 9-5 record and a 4.01 ERA, but he was the de facto starter when injuries to the starting rotation occurred early in the second half. Last year, he went 5-6 with a 5.36 ERA in 20 starts. He was barely used in the postseason, but he was still rewarded with a two-year, $860 million free agent contract.
However, it was the lack of a smooth signing process that ultimately led to his downfall. After going 2-8 with a 4.75 ERA in 14 games this season, Jung’s season was cut short by a back injury. He was diagnosed with a torn yellow ligament in his back on Nov. 22. This is the same surgeon who performed his surgeries in 2016 and 2019, so there’s a good chance he’ll have a third surgery. The pain in his back isn’t serious, but with Kiwoom rebuilding, there’s no need to overdo it.
Anyway, I signed the contract during the trial period. I didn’t participate in spring training and traveled around the country by myself to get in shape. He said he managed it well, but it was different from systematic training with the team. Coach Hong Won-ki pointed this out before the match against Doosan in Gocheok on the 22nd. Still, he felt sorry for Chung, saying that he had worked hard. 온라인바카라
He is a good senior who has already been recognized off the mound, such as uniting the juniors with his unique words. He will definitely be needed in the starting lineup next year. In a similar vein, Seo Ji-chang could come out of nowhere. However, the fact that he’s been putting off free agency for so long is bound to weigh on him. Jeong Chan-heon also has a lot to live up to given that he had a bad first season of free agency.
Human affairs can’t always be good. The Choi Won-tae deal, which is still hard to write a clear profit and loss statement, has the potential to be a win-win for both LG and Kiwoom. Lee Ju-hyung is gaining experience and showing talent very quickly. Objectively, LG’s chances of winning the overall title this year are high.
If that’s the case, we can take comfort in the fact that the Chung Chan-heon-Seo Jian-chang deal two years ago was a 50% success, even if it was a heartbreaker for both clubs. That doesn’t mean we should criticize the clubs for their bold decision two years ago; you can’t make a trade if you’re afraid of the consequences. It’s just that the industry feels sorry for Chung Chan-heon and Seo Jian-chang as they walk the hard road. In any case, at this point, it’s a loose, loose deal.
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