“I never thought about filing for free agency. I was thinking that if I become uncompetitive, I should quit without regret.”카지노사이트
Kiwoom infielder Lee Won-seok, 37, is also in the twilight of his career. He signed a 2+1 year free agent contract for 2 billion won with Samsung and was playing steadily, but at some point he was thinking about ‘retirement’. “I’ve been thinking about retirement for two or three years,” Lee Won-seok said before the Gwangju KIA game on the 29th. I didn’t decide when to do it. I was thinking that I should quit without regret when I lose my competitiveness.”
As he naturally thought about his retirement, it became an opportunity to whip himself. Lee Won-seok has been as loyal to Samsung as he was to Doosan and Lotte. With a 2 billion won contract with Samsung set to end this season, he didn’t slow down.
However, on April 27, he was traded to the Dulcuk Kiwoom. Kiwoom’s need to bolster the corner infield and Samsung’s urgent need for a bullpen matched. Lee Won-seok slumped after the trade, but rebounded nicely in June. Along the way, his work ethic naturally earned him high praise from club officials.
Kiwoom wanted to keep Lee Won-seok for longer, so they boldly signed him to a 2+1 year, 1 billion won multi-year contract starting in the 2024 season. In an era where free agent contracts in the 10 billion won range are commonplace, it’s hard to see the point of a non-free agent contract worth 1 billion won, but if you look at it as a medal of honor for playing faithfully for multiple teams, it’s well deserved.
“I was personally very grateful that the club made this decision during the season. As you get older, you start to think of each year as your last. The club offered me a good deal, and I think it gave me peace of mind.”
If you think about it, Lee wanted to sign a normal one-year contract next year so that he could be properly evaluated in the 2024-2025 free agency market. A free agent contract can be worth more than a non-free agent multi-year contract with a single contract window.
But Lee was adamant. “I never thought about applying for free agency because I wasn’t guaranteed to play until next year. I just wanted to play baseball for one more year. As you go through the season, you’re always thinking, ‘How many more days of baseball are there? I’ve got more days left to play baseball than I’ve played. One year is very precious. I’m grateful that the club gave me a contract.”
Kiwoom hopes that when Lee Jung-hoo leaves for the major leagues next year, Lee Won-seok will firmly take over the center of the outfield. He understands that the chemistry between seniors and juniors can have a huge impact on and off the field. They didn’t have to spend a lot of money to establish one of Yasujin’s pillars.
“Kiwoom has a lot of young players and they are not afraid of failure,” says Lee. Any player can make mistakes and hit badly, but there is no pressure on them. The young players seem to play boldly and daringly. I was surprised that their mental game was better than I thought. The weight training system is good. Everyone is coming to work early and working hard, which is great to see. I want to win another Korean Series title here.”