Veteran outfielder Kim Kang-min (41) will take the field in an eagle uniform in the 2024 season.
The Hanwha Eagles announced on the 24th that they plan to put Kim on the pending player list, saying, “Kim Kang-min visited the club office and expressed his intention to extend his career.”
Kim told Hanwha, “I was very happy playing baseball as a one-club man for 23 years. I’m sorry that I feel like I’m leaving in debt,” he said to SSG fans.
He added, “I will keep the unconditional love and precious memories you have given me, and I will try to reinvigorate myself in a new team. Thank you very much.”
Kim, who has only played for the SSG Landers and SK Wyverns (SSG’s predecessor) since 2001, was selected by Hanwha with the 22nd pick in the fourth round of the KBO Secondary Draft on April 22.
For Kim, who had been considering retirement, it was an abrupt departure from the team he played for for 23 years.
This was largely due to the fact that SSG did not include him in its 35 protected players and did not mark him separately on the roster that was sent to other teams.
“We were discussing retirement, extension of active service, and even the timing of the retirement ceremony with Kim Kang-min, so we didn’t know that other clubs would nominate him,” SSG said, adding, “We are actively promoting generation change, so it was difficult to include him in the 35-man protected list.”
Kim hit .226 (137-for-31) with two home runs and seven RBIs in 70 games in 2023.
For his career, Kim is batting .274 (5,364-for-1,470) with 138 home runs and 674 RBIs in 1,919 games. 슬롯게이밍