SSG Landers Appoints Former KT Wiz Head of Development Lee Sung-yong as the 9th Head Coach

SSG Landers Appoints Former KT Wiz Head of Development Lee Sung-yong as the 9th Head Coach, Remodeling is the name of the game.

SSG announced on the 17th that it has appointed Lee "Sung-yong" Lee, former head of KT Wiz development, as the ninth head coach. Rumors abounded after the firing of Kim Won-hyung, who led last year's Tom Hap Woo, on March 31, but the decision was made to give the new coach the baton from among four candidates.

Lee signed a two-year contract for a total of 900 million won, including a 300 million won signing bonus and a 300 million won annual salary. SSG began the search for a new head coach with the goal of "transforming the operating paradigm for sustainable development," and selected a new group of candidates who could actively implement it under the banner of communicative leadership and team remodeling. SSG then set up evaluation criteria by extracting essential competencies and virtues in various fields, and after an in-depth interview to discuss the club's direction and baseball values, we selected the new manager, Lee Sung-yong."

Before the announcement, a club official said, "There are many good people. So we are thinking about it and being cautious." After much consideration, they chose Lee. The club said, "With his years of coaching and front office experience, he possesses in-depth knowledge of the development system and KBO baseball trends, and his insight into season operations makes him the right person to reach the club's goals in a short period of time."

In announcing the termination of Kim Won-hyung's contract, SSG said, "We decided that we needed to make changes and innovations in the overall team operation and player generation. Changes were inevitable in order to renew the team and transform it into a strong team that is loved even more."

Since then, the team has made a number of changes. Offense and infield coach Kim Min-jae left for Lotte and hitting coach Jung Kyung-bae left for Hanwha. In addition, Cho Woong-chun, the secondary pitching coach, 바카라사이트 and Lee Jin-young, the secondary hitting coach, all left the team.

Despite the departure of many of the coaches who led the team to the title, SSG also informed first-team pitching coach Chae Byung-yong, fielding coach Son Ji-hwan, training coach Kwak Hyun-hee, Future Team (second-team) pitching coach Park Joo-un, and conditioning coach Ryu Jae-joon that they will not be re-signed for next season.

The team is being completely overhauled. The Futures team, which had been operating under Lee Dae-soo, also appointed a new head coach. Son Si-heon is leading the second team and has been training in Kagoshima, Japan, for the past three days with a group of young hopefuls who could be the mainstay of the first team.

Choi Jung can't be the 'fixer' and Kim Kwang-hyun the 'ace' forever. In the future, one of the younger players will have to step up to the plate. But the truth is, SSG has relied heavily on veterans this season, and you could say they haven't given the younger players a chance. But it's also true that they didn't see any young players who could compete in the first team.

Speaking ahead of the final camp in Kagoshima, Japan, an SSG official said, "The final camp is really important. We need to diligently develop good players not only for next year but also for the future of the team."

Second team coach Son Si-heon has a lot of responsibility, but the new coach, who is described as having a "servant leadership style" that "supports the coaching staff and players to maximize their potential based on open communication and mutual respect," should be able to scratch the club's itch.

Yang Seok-hwan-Ham Deok-ju, free agent bats and bullpen staples a 'win-win'?

The season is over as the LG Twins win the Korean Series. Now it's time for the free agent market.

The KBO announced the list of players eligible for free agency in 2024 on Friday. A total of 34 players are eligible for free agency in 2024. By FA classification, there are 8 players in Class A, 14 players in Class B, and 12 players in Class C. Of these players, 12 are first-time free agents, 8 are re-eligible, and 14 are already eligible but have not applied for free agency.

However, if we exclude players who have already signed multi-year contracts with their teams or announced their retirement, the number is 25. Among the players who are eligible for free agency, Doosan's Yang Seok-hwan (32) and LG's Ham Deok-ju (28), who were traded three years ago, are the biggest names in the free agent market for hitters and bullpen pitchers.

Ahead of the 2021 season, Doosan, in need of an infielder with a long bat, and LG, in need of a pitcher who could start or pitch out of the bullpen, made a two-for-two trade for Yang Seok-hwan and Ham Deok-ju. At the time, Doosan had a void in its lineup due to the free-agent transfer of first baseman Oh Jae-il to Samsung. LG was facing nagging injuries to its starters in the exhibition games.

Yang hit .266 with three doubles and 22 home runs in the 2018 season before his military service with LG. He was discharged from the military in late 2020 and returned to LG.

He hit 20 or more home runs for the third consecutive season in 2021 in a Doosan uniform. In 2021, he hit .827 with 28 homers and an OPS of .827 in 133 games, followed by .741 with 20 homers and an OPS of .741 in 107 games in 2022, 먹튀검증 and .787 with 21 homers and an OPS of .787 in 140 games in 2023.

Yang is a bit less accurate, but he has long power. His power is notable as he has hit over 20 home runs in three straight years while calling Jamsil Stadium home. His defense at first base is average. He could be of interest to teams looking to add long ball power.

Ham has struggled with nagging injuries in the two years since his trade. In 2021, he was sidelined with a bone spur in his elbow in early May, rehabbed and returned in September, but the injury returned at the end of the season. He finished with a 4.29 ERA in 16 games with a 1-2 record and one save. He underwent surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow after the season.

In 2022, he started the year in the bullpen and was promoted to the second team in early May in an attempt to get back into the starting rotation, but was sidelined by injury and did not return to the first team until the end of the season. By May, he had appeared in 13 games for the first team, posting a 2.13 ERA with no wins or losses.

In his third year with the team, Ham Deok-ju has rebounded as a closer. In 57 games (55⅔ innings), he went 4-0 with a 1.62 ERA, 16 holds and four saves. In the Korean Series, he appeared in four games and allowed one run in 3⅓ innings.

Ham ranks 14th among pitchers and third among relievers with a 2.26 WAR (per Sports2eye). Among relievers, KT's Kim Jae-yoon (2.53) and KT's Park Young-hyun (2.47) are 1-2. Ham Deok-ju led relievers in WAR until midway through the season, when he was removed from the roster in late August due to elbow fatigue and rehabbed until the end of the season, finishing third.

The bullpen also includes KT's Kim Jae-yoon (33), who has recorded 30 saves in three consecutive years, and Hong Gun-hee (31), who was the closer for Doosan, but Ham Deok-ju is the only player in his 20s among the free agents.

The only other starting pitcher is LG's Im Chan-kyu (31), who is also performing well this year. Im was eligible for free agency last year, but opted for a second stint due to his poor performance (6-11, 5.04 ERA). This year, he posted a 14-3 record with a 3.54 ERA, the most wins among homegrown pitchers in the league.

Players eligible for free agency in 2024 must apply to the KBO for approval to exercise their free agency rights by Friday, Nov. 17, within two days of the announcement, and the KBO will announce the players who have exercised their free agency rights on Nov. 18, the day after the deadline. 사설토토 FA-approved players will be able to negotiate with any club (including overseas clubs) for a contract starting on November 19, the day after the announcement.