The Lotte Giants have switched to ‘stovepipe mode’. The first step is to organize the roster.
On July 17, Lotte requested waivers from the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) for pitchers Yoon Myung-jun (34) and Kim Tae-wook (25) and outfielder Kook Hae-sung (34).
All three players are new additions to Lotte’s roster this season. Veteran Yoon Myung-jun, who joined the Doosan Bears in 2012, found a new home with Lotte after being released by the team last year. After posting a 1-5 record with a 6.52 ERA in 21 games with the first team, he didn’t receive many opportunities after mid-June and was eventually placed on waivers.
Kook Hae-sung, who joined Lotte through a tryout in mid-May, also left the team after five months. After appearing in just six games for the first team, he posted mediocre numbers in the Futures League, batting .276 with four home runs and 22 RBIs in 36 games. Kim Tae-wook, a former Hanwha first-round pick (2017) who made his first-team debut this year after six years as a professional (August 17 against Sasik SSG), also parted ways with Lotte after this game.메이저사이트
Lotte wrapped up the 2023 season on Aug. 16 with a 7-2 win in the pennant race final game at Daejeon’s Hanwha Life Eagles Park. The team started the year under Larry Sutton (53), who stepped down in late August due to health issues, and was replaced by Lee Jong-woon (57), who finished the rest of the season as acting manager. The team finished in seventh place with 68 wins and 76 losses (0.472 winning percentage) and missed the fall baseball stage for the sixth consecutive season after 2018.
Lotte CEO Lee Kang-hoon himself admitted that “there was a judgment that the performance and development were insufficient in the past four years.” As a result, Lotte is looking to hire a new manager, and is expected to start “thinning the herd” by organizing the roster.
The list of departures is expected to grow with the return of rookies who signed contracts this season and players on military leave. Several more players are likely to part ways with the club, including outfielder Ahn Kwon-soo (30), who is returning to Japan.
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