SUWON (Yonhap) ― The South Korean expansion baseball club KT Wiz on Thursday introduced their new offseason acquisitions, a list that includes castoffs, former All-Stars and young prospects.
They all sang the same tune at their joint news conference, saying they would like to have fresh starts and make the Wiz, which will be the 10th club in the Korea Baseball Organization, competitive in their inaugural season in 2015.
Right-hander Kim Sa-yool signed on as a free agent after spending 14 seasons with the Lotte Giants. The 34-year-old will also be the oldest pitcher for the Wiz.
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Cho Bum-hyun (fifth from right), manager of the KT Wiz baseball club, poses with the team’s offseason acquisitions during their press conference in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. (Yonhap) |
“It’s a great honor to don the uniform of the new club, and it makes me feel like a rookie again,” Kim said at Suwon Baseball Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, about 45 kilometers south of Seoul.
“As a veteran, I understand there are things I have to do off the field as well as on the field. I will do my best in all areas,” Kim added.
Infielder Park Kyung-su had been with the LG Twins since 2003 but signed a four-year deal as a free agent. He made 90 million won ($81,450) last season but will receive 230 million per season over the next four years.
“I’d like to thank KT for giving me to more money than I deserve,” Park said. “I will try to be the bridge between the veterans and the younger guys. I am looking forward to having fun on the field and playing without fear of failure.”
The Wiz also plucked off a handful of players from other clubs in an expansion draft. The nine other clubs could only protect 20 players on their roster, leaving the Wiz free to choose from those not on the protected lists.
The Wiz selected speedy outfielder Lee Dae-hyung from the Kia Tigers. Lee, 31, batted a career-high .323 and stole 22 bases, but the Tigers left him unprotected after just one season.
“I have high expectations for myself,” Lee said. “I’ve switched teams again and I will try to be someone that the team absolutely needs so that I won’t have to move to another club again.”
Also acquired from the expansion draft was the former MVP Kim Sang-hyeon. The 34-year-old was voted the league MVP in 2009 while playing for the Tigers, after hitting 36 home runs and driving in 127 runs. He has been a shell of his former self in ensuing seasons. In 2014 with the SK Wyverns, Kim batted just .263 in 42 games with five home runs.
On the Wiz, Kim has been reunited with manager Cho Bum-hyun, who coached the Tigers to the KBO championship in 2009 with Kim in the heart of his order.
“I’ve been going through rough stretches and KT has given me an opportunity,” Kim said. “I’ve not played good baseball over the past several years and I hope to turn things around in this club.”
In acquiring these players, Cho said he wanted to bring in experienced players who could contribute immediately, and he also had to think about the club’s long-term future.
“I expected our team to take shape through the expansion draft and free agency,” the manager said. “We’ll do our best in spring training to optimize our strengths. I have not yet figured out what we’re capable of doing, but we’ll play hard every day as the newest addition to the league.”
