The SSG Landers made a surprise trade on March 31st.
In a one-for-one trade with KT Wiz, they sent left-handed pitcher Oh Won-seok and received right-handed pitcher Kim Min-soo.
In the immediate aftermath of the trade, many voiced their disappointment with the one-for-one exchange. Of course, Kim has been a key part of KT’s bullpen this season. But Oh Won-seok was a franchise prospect who was the organization’s first-round pick in 2020 (then the SK Wyverns) and a big-time starter that SSG gave a chance to start full-time for the past four years. Even if Kim was a good pitcher, it was a shock to trade away a left-handed pitcher in his early 20s with four years of full-time first-team experience.
However, the club and the field made a sober judgment. Won-seok Oh had been given consistent opportunities over the course of four seasons, but the results were not satisfactory, even for the player himself. Last year and this year, he posted ERAs in the five-run range for the second consecutive year, and he was nowhere near the double-digit wins he was aiming for. He repeatedly faltered in the fifth and sixth innings, which led to a long period of deliberation.
The team decided that a trade could be a ‘win-win’ situation, as it would be a relief for Oh Won-seok and the new pitcher would help the team, so they chose Kim Min-soo.
General manager Kim Jae-hyun and manager Lee Sung-yong had noticed Kim early on and wanted him. Kim Jae-hyun had seen Kim pitch in person last year when he was the LG Twins’ power enhancement coordinator and requested a trade. However, he was unsuccessful, as the KT organization nailed him with a “no trade” sign.
Manager Lee Sung-yong also wanted to sign Kim.
He knew the player well, 메이저사이트 having seen him up close during his time as KT’s manager, and was convinced that his performance in the first team this year was not a fluke. We requested a trade for Kim and KT, who wanted a left-handed pitcher, agreed and the deal was finalized. Both the front office and the field are happy with the outcome.
SSG was preparing for Won-seok to start next season in the bullpen instead of starting, even if he hadn’t been traded. Seeing that Oh’s pitching was deteriorating in the data, they decided it would be better to change his role. In the meantime, the trade was finalized and the team changed.
“We’re going to use him in the bullpen,” Lee said of his plans for next season. Although he has experience as a starter, the strategy is to use a player who has performed well this season as a first-team bullpen arm to continue to do so next season.
If Noh Kyung-eun, who is in free agency negotiations, stays, the bullpen will be comprised of Kim Min-ki, Seo Jin-yong, and closer Cho Byung-hyun. Kim is currently at the Ganghwa Futures Ballpark preparing for the new season. With 71 games and 77⅓ innings pitched this season, which is quite a lot for a bullpen pitcher, there is bound to be fatigue, so the training program takes that into account.