Ham Deok-ju’s contract, surgery, LG and players did their best

A law has its own story before it becomes a dead letter. A baseball official familiar with baseball’s rules said, “There is little effectiveness in getting a physical examination before signing a FA contract. It has naturally become a nominal rule because it is not necessary.”

First of all, an internal FA team does not require a separate physical examination because the team already has medical data on the player. The same applies to Ham’s case. According to reports, LG officials and coaching staff already had detailed and accurate information on his injury history and physical condition. 토토사이트 추천

Ham was also excluded from the list in August last year due to a microfracture of his elbow. The club decided to take rest to protect the players, and he could return to the club in late September, but was given extra rest as the team confirmed its regular season title. After returning to the Korean Series, Ham allowed one run in 3.1 innings and a 2.70 ERA in four games, sharing his first win in 29 years.

Ahead of the FA match after the Korean Series, Ham had an MRI scan at a hospital. Tests showed that the bone in the elbow that had been broken was close to normal, and he was diagnosed with a full recovery by mid-January. The LG Twins also confirmed the test results, and a high-ranking official at the LG Twins told various baseball figures, “Ham Deok-ju’s bone is all set.” Up until then, there was no abnormality in Ham’s elbow, and it was almost certain that he would join the team for the opening of the season.

However, physical examinations conducted after signing the contract showed some cause for concern. At the time of the last examination, bone recovery in the elbow was slower than expected by mid-January. There were still minute gaps of two to three millimeters. If the team rehabilitates, the team could make it to the opening in April, but the team that invested a lot of money had to think about the risk of recurrence. Accordingly, the team first suggested surgery as a solution, and the players agreed, leading to surgery.

Looking at the process, neither LG nor Ham should be criticized. LG fully checked Ham’s physical condition before proceeding with the contract. Nevertheless, the company set an option of 1.8 billion won (1.8 million U.S. dollars) among its contracts in consideration of possible injury risks. Ham also did his best to prove his condition to the club. He just chose surgery to minimize the possibility of recurrence of injury and to spend the remaining contract period in a healthy state. What is clear is that LG was well aware of Ham’s physical condition and did not feel the need for a separate physical examination.

What about external FA? After all, most teams do not feel the need for a medical test before signing a contract. “In Korea, where there are 10 teams, teams can relatively accurately monitor players’ physical conditions of other teams,” a baseball source said. Players who have a serious risk of injury find it difficult to know about them from the outside, and injury problems are already reflected in the market price.

“In the KBO League, players’ physical conditions are shared in any way, whether through club coaches or trainers. The environment is different from that of the U.S., where 30 teams compete,” a former official said, adding that the pre-contract physical examination has no significance.

One of the reasons is that negotiations and contracts between big FA teams are urgent. “In our league, we cannot afford to proceed with medical treatment while recruiting FA,” said the head of a club. If you decide to bring a player, you need to negotiate quickly and get an autograph on the contract. It is difficult to require a medical treatment, but even if we proceed, it would be a disaster if another club takes you.”

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