Hanwha selected SSG outfielder Kim Kang-min (41) in the KBO Secondary Draft held on April 22 because it was understood that he was willing to extend his career. He was at a crossroads between extending his career and retiring after this season, but it was reported that he wanted to play one more year and then retire.
The SSG, which had discussed a retirement game and coach training with Kim Kang-min but hadn’t come to any conclusions, was puzzled by Han’s nomination. SSG didn’t take any safeguards ahead of the second draft. In submitting its 35-man protected list, it simply released Kim Kang-min with no indication of retirement plans or discussions about the players to be designated.
Unlike Hanwha, which announced that it was in the pre-retirement phase by appointing top pitcher Jung Woo-ram as its pitching coach on April 14, SSG did not send any signals to the outside world regarding Kim’s retirement. In the end, he was selected by Hanwha in the second round of the draft, setting up a cliffhanger ending for the longest one-club man in KBO history.
Not only was Kim devoted to the team for 23 years, but SSG fans were also shocked and devastated.
The SSG organization is trying to make amends. On the 23rd of this month, they met with Kim Kang-min and tried to convince him to retire by offering him a retirement ceremony and leadership training. At this point, the only way SSG can appease its angry fans is if Kim decides to retire.
We don’t know what they offered or how sincere they were. However, it doesn’t look good for a player who was drafted by Hanwha to be asked to retire by his former team. If he was going to retire, 카지노사이트가이드 it should have been finalized one way or another before the second round of the draft. It’s not normal for a team to ask a player to retire at this point in time to fix a situation.
Hanwha also met with Kim Kang-min on the 24th.
At the time of the nomination, Kim Kang-min was so shocked that Hanwha president Son Hyuk did not contact him. He plans to give him two days to convey his sincerity. The fact that the Hanwha front office has a lot of former SSG players from SK is another reason why Kim is expected to be able to convince them to extend his service.
Kim is one of the oldest players on the roster, turning 42 next year, but Hanwha still recognizes his value as a player. He is needed not only in the front office but also on the field by head coach Choi Won-ho and assistant coach Chung Kyung-bae. Hanwha’s younger players are also eager to learn from Kim’s experience and know-how. It’s one thing to end a 23-year career as a one-club man, but it’s another to burn the final flame with a new team.
Of course, Hanwha has reiterated that it will fully respect the player’s decision. Now it’s up to Kim to make his choice. If he decides to retire by the KBO’s pending roster submission date on May 25, he will finish his career with SSG. In this case, Hanwha will lose the right to draft him, but will receive the transfer fee (100 million won in the fourth round) back. If Kim decides to extend his career, he will start his 24th season with a new team.