After six straight losses, the patience is over. Eventually, the 17 billion won free agent trio disappeared from the first team.
On the 15th, a day without baseball, Lotte made a massive roster move. The team removed catcher Yoo Kang-nam, pitcher Park Jin-hyung, and infielder Jung Dae-sun from the first team and called up catcher Seo Dong-wook, pitcher Choi Yi-jun, and Shin Jung-rak to the first team.
The roster shakeup means that Han Hyun-hee, Noh Jin-hyuk, and Yoo Kang-nam, the “17 billion won free agent trio” that Lotte ambitiously signed last year, will not be in the first team. Last year, Lotte signed Yoo Kang-nam to a four-year, 8 billion won contract, Noh Jin-hyuk to a four-year, 5 billion won contract, and Han Hyun-hee to a 3+1 year, 4 billion won contract.
Last year, all three players underperformed their price tags and expectations, and this year, in the second year of their contracts, all three were determined to rebound. However, by the fourth week of the season, all three were dropped from the first team.
Han Hyun-hee was the first to be cut. In fact, she was excluded from the opening roster, but was called up to the first team on March 30, just one week after the start of the season. However, after posting a 7.36 ERA in four games with the first team, she was removed from the roster on March 10. In all four of his appearances since his call-up, he hasn’t been called upon in any significant situations. He was on the mound mostly in late-inning situations. He was released on Sept. 9 after giving up three runs on three hits with one walk and three strikeouts in ⅓ innings.
On the 11th, Noh was demoted to the second team. Noh, who had been selected as the starting shortstop, was dropped from the first team after batting 1-for-7 (6-for-34) with two RBIs and a .488 OPS in 14 games this year. After striking out on his first three pitches in his first at-bat against Sasik Doosan on the 7th, manager Kim Tae-hyung immediately called Noh to the bench. He gave him another chance on the 10th against Sasik Samsung Electronics, but he struck out in both of his at-bats. On the 11th, Kim Tae-hyung ordered him to the second team.
Finally, on the 15th, Yoo Kang-nam was removed from the first team. Yoo entered the season as the starting catcher. He was one of the few players that Kim Tae-hyung has been able to solidify as a starter since he took over as manager of Lotte. However, Yoo hasn’t lived up to expectations so far. In 17 games, he is 1-for-51 with two RBIs and a .363 OPS, but he is just 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position.
The last 14 games, in particular, were the ones that forced the decision to send him to the second team. Trailing 2-7 in the top of the sixth inning, Lotte loaded the bases with one out after Son Ho-young reached on an error by the shortstop, Lee Hak-joo walked, and Kim Min-sung reached on a fielder’s choice. Yoo Kang-nam stepped to the plate.
Kiwoom brought in Pil Seung-jo Kim Jae-woong to save the day, but Kim faltered with his pitches. Yoo Kang-nam held on until the third pitch. But he didn’t wait for the fourth pitch. He hit a 139-kilometer fastball that sailed over the shortstop. A 6-4-3 double play ended the inning. With three strikes, the count was favorable for the batter. However, the opposing pitcher was unable to deliver a strike, and he had to wait patiently for another opportunity. It was reckless hitting.
The bench would have made a clear sign for Yoo, who has been struggling to find time at the plate lately. In the dugout after the missed opportunity in the sixth inning, manager 안전놀이터 Kim Tae-hyung called out third base coach Ko Young-min and Yoo Kang-nam. They seemed to be talking about a missed play involving a three-ball hit. Yoo Kang-nam was later replaced by Lee Jung-geun and was also removed from the first team.
Coach Kim Tae-hyung said of Noh Jin-hyuk and Yoo Kang-nam, “They are players who will eventually have to play someday,” and trusted the veteran’s experience. However, his patience was tested by their immediate drop in form. He waited as long as he could, but the team failed to rebound until nearly a month into the season.
In the end, Kim Tae-hyung was forced to make a complete change. Han Hyun-hee’s spot was filled by Shin Jung-rak, Choi Yi-joon, and Jung Woo-joon. Noh Jin-hyeok’s spot is filled by Lee Hak-joo, who is batting 4-for-8 with 15 RBIs in 31 at-bats in 10 games and is also playing solid defense, so he will be the first to get a chance. Yoo Kang-nam’s spot at catcher will be filled by Information Geun.
Lotte is in a six-game losing streak and has been looking for a breakthrough by making a lot of roster changes recently. However, the results have all been bad. Leaving Yoo Kang-nam out of the first team could be considered a last resort. Can Lotte turn things around?
Lotte will start a three-game series against the LG Twins at Jamsil Stadium on the 16th. Aaron Wilkerson is the starting pitcher for Lotte.