NC is firm in its intention not to capture FA Lee Myeong-gi and Kwon Hee-dong. A hitter capable of hitting 30% in two championships in the Korean Series, a backup who has hit more than average in any role over the years. Still, the two could prove their worth in NC.
However, 36-year-old and 33-year-old outfielders are not players who can exert their power at the top of the league in any field, such as hitting when hitting, defending when defending, and running when running base. NC seems to have turned their attention to players who are younger and have more potential.
After a recent New Year’s party at Changwon NC Park, coach Kang In-kwon said, “In the outfield, in addition to Son Ah-seop and Park Gun-woo, there are Kim Seong-wook and Han Seok-hyun. We need young players to support us from behind. I have expectations for them this season as well.”
Basically, the NC outfield this season is likely to be packed with Son Ah-seop, Jason Martin, and Park Gun-woo. Here, the calculation is based on giving priority to Seong-wook Kim, who returned from military service, and Seok-hyun Han, who was recruited as a futures free agent. Kim Seong-wook has a career batting average of 0.247 with 55 homers and 217 RBIs in the first team. However, he had one shot as a right-handed outfielder. still 30 years old. It is worth looking forward to an explosion of potential. It is difficult to give a clear starter spot, but it means that he will see value as a starter-level backup.
Since Han Seok-hyun was recruited as a free agent by Futures, it is right to give him a chance. In 2014, he joined LG in the 2nd 5th round, 48th place. Although he was pushed by LG’s thick depth, he couldn’t show anything like this. However, he was good with a batting average of 0.338, 2 home runs, 21 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.871 in 48 Futures League games in 2022. He fell short of the regulation at-bats and fell out of the batting order, but he was positive enough.
In addition, NC has created an atmosphere in which young players will gradually rise up in the infield. 21-year-old switch hitter shortstop Kim Joo-won is preparing for full-time this year. Oh Young-soo, whom former manager Kim Kyung-moon paid attention to, is expected to have a chance to grow as a first baseman. Seo Ho-cheol is also on standby for Park Seok-min’s third base backup. Park Min-woo, who signed a 14 billion won free agent contract for 5+3 years, draws a picture of centering.
Director Kang said, “Seo Ho-cheol is not hitting well in Australia, but that is also a good experience.” In fact, he participated in 21 games in Geelong Korea, with a batting average of 0.235, 2 homers and 6 RBIs. But as a 27-year-old right-handed infielder who has just completed his military service, it’s ideal to stick around for the long term.
It is true that NC has more losses than gains in the 2022-2023 offseason. Nor did it announce a major rebuild. In fact, it is a move similar to retooling, but it is not impossible to make a blast if you combine cores and key prospects well. It remains to be seen how new head coach Kang In-kwon’s leadership permeates into this.
There seems to be no place for Lee Myeong-gi and Kwon Hee-dong in NC. Both considering the present and considering the future. NC is showing the sober reality of business. 스포츠토토