Oh Won-seok at the news of the SSG’s winning catcher, going to Hanwha after his release, said, “It’s a shame that you led so comfortably.”

“We have signed a contract with veteran catcher Lee Jae-won for an annual salary of 50 million won,” the Hanwha Eagles announced on Tuesday. “We have recruited Lee Jae-won, who has extensive experience including winning the Korean Series, to secure backup catcher resources to support Choi Jae-hoon and Park Sang-eon,” the Hanwha Eagles said.

“We recruited Choi Jae-hoon and Park Sang-eon because we thought there was a lack of experienced catchers, and there was a sufficient need to prepare for injuries and strengthen the depth,” general manager Son Hyuk said. “We expect Lee Jae-won to add weight to the catcher team until promising player Heo In-seo returns from Sangmu in the second half of next season.” 안전놀이터 추천

Lee Jae-won had a tough year. He had high expectations as a big catcher during his high school years and jumped on the professional stage in 2006 as a former member of the SSG SK Wyverns, who had the right to make the first nomination. After graduating from Incheon High School, he started his professional career in his local team.

Since joining the team, the team has not been smooth sailing. It was because there were catchers named Park Kyung-wan and Jung Sang-ho. They did not get many chances. Nevertheless, they consistently displayed potential in offense. In his first year as a rookie, he recorded a batting average of 313 with four RBIs in 23 games. In the following year, he started to show his presence with a batting average of 333 with three homers and 21 RBIs in 66 games.

In 2007 and 2008, SK won the Korean Series after the regular season. Lee Jae-won played a key role during the SK dynasty. Despite having key catchers including Park Kyung-wan and Jeong Sang-ho, Lee was recognized by the primary team. After serving in the military, Lee started playing as a starting player in 2014.

In 2015, he hit .282 with 17 homers and 100 RBIs in 140 games. In the 2018 season, he led the team as the captain and led the team to the Korean Series title as the main catcher. After winning in 2018, Lee Jae-won became an FA and recorded a four-year record of 6.9 billion won. In his first year after signing as an FA, he was okay with a batting average of 26.8 with 12 homers and 75 RBIs in 139 games in 2019.

Since then, his performance has declined. His position has narrowed. He worked harder than anyone else during the offseason and camp, but the result didn’t come out. Eventually, he personally asked the club to release him, and he found a new team. After asking the SSG team to release him, Lee Jae-won told OSEN over the phone, “I’m sorry to the front desk who worked with me for 18 years. I’m grateful to my fellow players. I played for a good team. I won a lot, and I have many happy memories as a key player. I’m sad that I can’t retire here, but I’m in good physical condition. That’s why I’m going to try more.”

Lee Jae-won made up his mind, saying, “I want to burn the flame in my new team.” On his way to Hanwha, SSG left-hander Oh Won-seok said, “He is a senior who allows me to throw a ball comfortably when I go up to the mound. Thank you for leading me so far. I feel very secure when Lee Jae-won is wearing a catcher’s mask.” “He is a warm senior. It’s a shame.”

“Our pitchers know everything. I know how much a catcher named Lee Jae-won allows pitchers to throw freely,” said retired former teammates Chung Young-il and Kim Tae-hoon, who work as pitching coaches at the baseball academy.

Lee Jae-won made a difficult decision. It is regrettable that he has to leave his favorite team without repaying all the fans who have supported him so far. Nevertheless, he wants to show that he can play more baseball in his new team and show that he can do it.

He will join the team after working out in Daegu in January. As he is in good physical condition and is recovering his confidence, attention is focusing on whether his new team will be able to relieve the regret of leaving his hometown.