Song Sung-moon was washed with an undervalued salary... 300 million jumps in annual salary, and the FA market explodes in two years
Song Sung-moon was washed with an undervalued salary... 300 million jumps in annual salary, and the FA market explodes in two years
Blog Article
Song Seong-moon (29) of Kiawum may have been one of the most underrated players in the KBO league in 2024. Despite his outstanding performance, he received less spotlight than players who achieved similar performance. Some players saw their individual performance suddenly jump, and others tended to lose their luster as their team performance fell to the bottom.메이저놀이터
Considering his performance, however, the figures never deserved to be underestimated. Song played in 142 games during this season and posted a batting average of 0.340, 19 homers, 104 RBIs, 179 hits, 21 steals, and OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.927, struggling in the lineup of the teams to which Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco Giants) moved. He displayed outstanding concentration with a batting average of 0.372 in the scoring position, and also gained recognition for his ability to play various positions in the infield.
Song Sung-moon, who achieved personal career highs in both ball, water and state, also has value as a utility player who can play third and second bases at the same time. After the season, he was proudly selected as a member of the national team to play in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12, and was recognized for his skills and leadership by serving as the captain of the national team. Despite the team's performance at the bottom, the big hit in the salary negotiations was predicted to some extent, and he completed the renewal of his salary in 2025 after receiving such treatment.
The Kiwoom Heroes (CEO Wi Jae-min) officially announced on Monday that they have signed annual salary contracts with all 50 players (excluding newcomers, youngsters, military holdouts, free agents, multi-year contracts with foreign players) for the 2025 season. Song drew attention the most. Song, who received an annual salary of 130 million won last year, signed a contract with an increase of 130.8 percent at 300 million won. "This is the highest annual salary increase among those eligible for annual salary contracts," Kiwoom explained. Song, who only made it to the annual salary of 200 million won in 2023, skipped the 200 million won mark and immediately joined the ranks of high-paid players with an annual salary of 300 million won.
It was because he recognized many values. He continued to play 142 games, practically all games, and displayed outstanding performance in offense. He has enjoyed the best season of his career by increasing the number of stolen bases. "Song Sung-moon, who recorded 179 hits, 19 homers, 104 RBIs and a batting average of 0.340 in 142 games during the 2024 season, achieved a career high in key attack indicators such as batting average, hits, RBIs and scores," Kiwoom said. "I would like to thank the team for recognizing its value," Song said. "As I received good treatment, I will try to set an example both inside and outside the baseball stadium with more responsibility. As a captain, I will faithfully play my role as a bridge between seniors and juniors."
The interest is that Song Sung-moon, who stood tall as one of the league's top players last year, is gradually approaching the FA time. Song Sung-moon has completed six seasons of registration until 2024, and now he will become an FA if he plays normally for the next two years. If he achieves the same performance as last year for two more consecutive years, his value in the FA market is expected to be great. Although last year, there were aspects that were hidden from prominent third baseman such as Kim Do-young (KIA) and Choi Jeong (SSG), it is by far the best offensive productivity in the league. It also has excellent strategic value to see both second and third bases. Attention is also focusing on what kind of defense Kiwoom, which has relatively little financial capacity, will face in the battle for Song Sung-moon.
Meanwhile, even amid the team's poor performance, the players who worked hard to lead pitching and batting also saw their salaries rise considerably, and were recognized for their value last year. Analysts say Kiwoom's negotiation strategy was seen this year, which supports the players who will be treated relatively enthusiastically, although the team's salary itself is not high.
Ha Young-min (30), who spent the best season as the leader of Kiwoom's domestic starting lineup last year, rose 106.3 percent from 80 million won in 2024 to 165 million won this year. Kiwoom tried to raise young Korean starting pitchers in 2024, but there was no choice but to make trial and error. Meanwhile, Ha Young-min was the one who showed the most consistent performance.
Ha Young-min pitched 150 ⅓ innings in 28 games of the season, recording 9 wins and 8 losses with an ERA of 4.37. He achieved his first regular innings beyond his first 100 innings, and also set a personal record of winning the most. He is expected to lead the team's domestic starting lineup in 2025. Ha Young-min said, "I tried hard to fulfill my role as a professional player, and I think the result has led to achievements. I will continue to do my best to show good performances consistently."
Joo Seung-woo (25) who leaped to finish the team and kept the back door, also spends a warm winter. After graduating from Sungkyunkwan University, Joo Seung-woo received the first nomination from Kiwoom in 2022 and made a name for himself as a next-generation starter, settled firmly in the bullpen this year and secured the team's finishing position. He showed off his powerful ball power as his speed rose to more than 150 kilometers, and played in 55 games this season with a 4.35 ERA of 4 wins, 6 losses, 14 saves and 5 holds.
As a result, he signed a contract at 77 million won, up 140.6 percent from last year's 32 million won (32,500 U.S. dollars). With Cho's transfer to the Kia Tigers, Joo will likely feel heavier on his shoulders. "As much as the team has recognized, I will play with greater responsibility this season. I will become a player who contributes to my team's victory without injury," Joo said.
In addition to Song Seong-moon, outfielder Lee Ju-hyung (24) has been paid hundreds of millions of dollars in annual salary for the fielders. Lee, who showed off his potential after joining Kiwoom in a trade in 2023, posted a batting average of 0.266, 13 homers, 60 RBIs and an OPS of 0.754 in 115 games last year. Although the performance was somewhat lower than expected, he is setting the stage one by one given that he is still a young player.