The NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) have acquired infielder Kim Hwi-jip from the Kiwoom Heroes, risking a hemorrhage of rookie prospects. The move was made to thicken their infield depth.
NC and Kiwoom announced the trade on April 29th. NC sent the first and third round picks in the 2025 Rookie Draft to Kiwoom in exchange for infielder Kim Hwijip.
Kim was the starting shortstop for Kiwoom. Kim, who was selected by Kiwoom with the ninth overall pick in the second round of the 2021 Korean Rookie Draft, saw steady opportunities in 2022 and 2023 after Kim Ha-seong left for the American Major Leagues.
While he didn’t break out with a .222 average with eight home runs and 36 RBIs in 2022 and .249 average with eight home runs and 51 RBIs in 2023, 카지노사이트 he showed promise as a big shortstop.
He also gained a lot of valuable experience to help him grow.
He played in the 2022 Korea Series, and last year, he was named to the Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) team.
While Kim is a coveted infield resource, as he can play second and third base as well as shortstop, NC also has some promising infielders.
Kim Joo-won, who was NC’s starting shortstop in the 2023 season, hit 10 home runs for the second straight year in 2022-2023 and showed promise as a big-bat prospect. Last year, he earned a gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games and APBC, raising hopes for a future national shortstop.
He was criticized for his weakness in defense, but he improved as he gained experience.
Seo Ho-cheol took over at third base. After batting .287 with five home runs, 41 RBIs and a .714 OPS in 114 games last year, Seo has improved to .297 with three home runs, 29 RBIs and a .759 OPS this year.
At second base, 파워볼실시간 veteran infielder Park Min-woo is holding down the fort.
On the field, however, the infield has been a concern.
Kim Joo-won, who was expected to grow with experience, struggled early in the season and underperformed expectations. He hit just .218 in 54 games.
Add to that Park Min-woo’s nagging shoulder injury and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. Park was diagnosed with a partial rotator cuff injury in his right shoulder and was removed from the first-team roster on July 13th. After completing treatment, Park returned to the first team on the 30th, 17 days later.
NC manager Lim Sun-nam said, “Last year, there was a request for infield reinforcement in the field, and we inquired about Kim Hwijip from Kiwoom. However, we were told that he was ‘untradeable,’” he said.
“At the beginning of this season, due to the poor performance of the infield and injuries, we received another request from the field, and once again, we asked Kiwoom to trade Kim Hwijip.” “Kiwoom’s stance changed, and the trade was made,” he added.
This season, Kiwoom’s infield has become more competitive with the addition of rookies Lee Jae-sang and Ko Young-woo. Lee Jae-sang, who impressed early in the season, recently returned after being sidelined with a finger injury.
With Lee Jae-sang and Go Young-woo showing signs of growth, Kiwoom’s stance on Kim Hwi-jip has changed from last year, and the organization is open to trade discussions.
Although reinforcing the infield was a necessity, it was a big decision for the NC, which emphasizes development, to give away two rookie designations.
“We proposed sending one rookie and a player, but it was not easy to match the cards with players. It was difficult to narrow down the differences, so we decided to give two rookie picks,” he said, adding, ‘It was a bitter pill to swallow.’
In any trade, there are always regrets. NC is looking forward to the benefits of acquiring Kim.
“With Kim, who can play second base, third base, and shortstop, we expect our infield operations to be smoother,” said Lim. “We can utilize our depth to form various lineups and use different tactics late in the game. We also have the ability to rotate and rest players.”
“The Tampa Bay Rays utilize a deep roster and don’t rely on a single starter. I think that’s what we want our infield to look like.”
Lim shook his head when asked if the decision to give up the rookie was more about the present than the future. 에볼루션 바카라사이트 Kim was born in 2002 and is now 22 years old.
“He is part of our team’s future,” Lim said. “If she settles in well, she will be able to contribute alongside our young infielders,” Lim emphasized.
A “healthy dose of tension” is also something NC hopes will come from Kim’s addition.
“If the trade stimulates the existing players, it will also create healthy tension,” Lim said. The right amount of tension can help young players compete and grow,” said Lim.
