“We need to prepare the infield well”.
An important goal of the KIA Tigers’ final camp in Okinawa is to reorganize the infield. The Tigers have selected a group of potential players to train in Okinawa. After the season, there were a lot of changes in the infield. We have to be ready for anything. The players are sweating every day because they have a chance.
The first change is the departure of free agent veteran infielder Kim Sun-bin. He is eligible for free agency for the second time after 2020. He has been negotiating with the club on a stay-at-home basis. Both the club and the player have exchanged terms. There are some differences, but both sides are trying to get the best deal possible. Although it is highly likely that the player will stay, Kim Jong-kook’s position requires him to be prepared for any possible transfer situation.
Another issue is that shortstop Park Chan-ho and third baseman Kim Do-young underwent surgery for injuries. Park suffered a comminuted fracture of his left ulna in early October when he was hit by KT’s Lee Sun-woo in the dunes. 먹튀검증 Kim suffered a torn ligament and fracture in his left thumb while making a head-first slide to first base to prevent a double play in the APBC against Japan. First baseman Hwang Dae-in also had surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow.
All three players may not be ready for next year’s season,
So not only are they expected to have lingering injuries, but their performance from the opening game is still unclear. Therefore, the Okinawa offseason camp has been conducting tense infield drills to prepare a backup plan. “We need to be prepared so that there are no problems,” said Kim, who is also showing special interest in the infielders’ training.
The final camp included eight-year infield veteran Kim Kyu-sung, four-year infielder Hong Jong-pyo and 2024 rookie infielder Kim Doo-hyun. They can play shortstop and second base. In addition, Byun Woo-hyuk (third and first base), Oh Sun-woo (first base), Lee Woo-sung (first base), and 2023 rookie Jeong Jung-won (third base) are working hard as corner infielders. Outfielder Lee Woo-sung is also aiming to make his first-team debut.
Kim Kyu-sung has already been recognized as a first-team backup at second base and shortstop. Now that his defense is solid, he is working hard to improve his hitting ability. Hong Jong-pyo, in his second year of service, is also challenging for a full first-team role. Kim Doo-hyun, a reserve, is a shortstop who has been praised for his defensive fundamentals. He is also working on strengthening his batting by speeding up his swing.
Here’s another potential candidate.
This is infielder Park Min, who currently plays for the Canberra Cavaliers in the Australian League. He was drafted in the first round of the 2020 second round, sixth overall. He has appeared in 30 first-team games in three years and has shown potential at the plate, hitting triples in the Futures League two years in a row since joining the organization.
In Canberra, he’s still adjusting to the Australian pitching staff, so he doesn’t have a blazing bat, but his defense is well-recognized. Manager Kim Jong-kook said, “I have high expectations for Park Min. He is an infielder who can play shortstop, third base and second base. We need a right-handed hitter. We will prepare him for next year’s spring training.”
Kim Do-young’s classmate Yoon Do-hyun (2022 2nd round pick), who has exceptional defense and hitting ability, is also preparing with the Future Team. Even if Kim signs a free-agent contract and the injured starters are ready to go from the opening day, 온라인카지노 the team will still have plenty of backup depth. “The weather has been good throughout the final camp and the players have been training passionately,” Kim said, “and the improvement in their skills is also noticeable.