Samsung Lions and KIA Tigers finally traded catchers. On the 5th, Samsung traded catcher Kim Tae-gun (33) to KIA for infielder Ryu Ji-hyeok (29).
interests were clear. Samsung, which had three main catchers, Kang Min-ho, Kim Tae-gun, and Kim Jae-seong, wanted to use the catcher card to reinforce their vulnerable positions, and KIA, which had revealed its weaknesses in the catcher position before the season, needed home reinforcements. Since they were two teams with clear interests, trade rumors between the two teams have been circulating throughout this season. Negotiations were sluggish because the cards did not match, but in the end, the two teams reached an agreement at the end of the first half, when they fell to the bottom, and traded the catchers they wanted.
Unfortunately, this trade is accompanied by ‘pain’ for both KIA and Samsung. KIA made this trade based on the bitter memory of a failed contract with Park Dong-won (currently LG) and Samsung’s first trade failure. 먹튀검증
KIA had a clear catcher card last year. Park Dong-won was traded and recruited from Kiwoom Heroes to erase homeroom concerns. However, this happiness did not last for half a year. As Park Dong-won left the team immediately after last season as a free agent (FA), KIA lost its catcher resource. With the recruitment of Park Dong-won, KIA, which even sent away “winning catcher” Kim Min-sik, was very disappointed. To make matters worse, the futility grew as it was revealed that the failure of the contract with Park Dong-won was entangled with former manager Jang Jeong-seok’s infatuation. That’s how KIA joined hands with Samsung after half a year of searching for a master.
Samsung is a team that openly declared a catcher trade since last winter. But matching the cards wasn’t easy. At the beginning of the season, when Kim Jae-seong (abductor muscle) and Kim Tae-gun (acute hepatitis) left the line due to injuries, the discussion was canceled. In the meantime, Samsung made a trade with veteran infielder Lee Won-seok and gave Kiwoom the right to name a rookie while recruiting a bullpen pitcher (Kim Tae-hoon). But for now, it looks like it’s going to fail. The pitcher is sluggish, and the infield team, which has been rejuvenated since Lee Won-seok was absent, makes frequent mistakes, revealing their lack of experience in the offense and defense.