He exercised his first free agent right after four moves, but the reality was cold. Seo Geon-chang, 36, a free agent infielder with the KIA Tigers in the professional baseball league, remains deeply regrettable. It was the most pressing condition among the MVP-turned-players in his career.메이저놀이터
Seo Geon-chang signed an FA contract with KIA on the 9th for a total of 500 million won per year. The terms are 100 million won in down payment, 240 million won in annual salary and 160 million won in option. If the 2025 option is met, the 2026 contract will be automatically extended.
Although the structure of the annual salary has not been disclosed yet, the annual average is 120 million won. If the option is not implemented, the guaranteed amount is expected to be around 220 million won including down payment. Among the 17 players who signed a free agent contract this winter, the contract is the second lowest after Hanwha infielder Ha Joo-seok (one-year guarantee of 90 million won and an option of 20 million won).
It feels all the more regrettable because the team delayed the FA three times. In preparation for the first free agent in Kiwoom in 2021, Seo requested a salary cut from the club and lowered it from 350 million won to 225 million won. Initially, the team offered 320 million won (320 million won) in terms of salary reduction and was classified as B grade, but it was twisted when it was traded to LG during the season. As the compensation scale changed to A grade, Seo Geon-chang is on the path to re-establishing the free agent. However, he continued sluggish performance at LG between 2022-2023, delaying and delaying the free agent again. Eventually, he was released by LG after the end of last year's season, and took the opportunity to make a comeback at KIA.
Seo has successfully rebounded from his hometown team. He had a batting average of 310 (63 hits in 203 at-bats) in 94 games with one homerun, 26 RBIs, 36 walks, 31 strikeouts, and a .404 OPS.820 slugging percentage. Although he was not a regular starter, he displayed accurate contact and on-base hits similar to those of Altoran. He played a very nutritious game with a batting average of 344 (22 hits in 64 at-bats) and a pinch hitter batting average of 346 (nine hits in 26 at-bats), contributing to Kia's overall win.
After the season, Seo Geon-chang finally exercised his first FA qualification. Although it was a grade C in which no reward players were added when moving, the market reaction was too cold. Although he had a good performance last year, he was not a starting player, and his sense of stability in defense declined. Until the age of mid-30s, there were not many factors that deserved the market's attention. Kia had to be satisfied with its offer of relief amid on-site requests and signing an FA contract after four moves.
Seo Geon-chang was an MVP. When he was with the Nexen Heroes in 2014, he had the first 200 hits (201) season in the KBO League, writing the legend of a player who was released from the team. Most MVP winners were blessed with money. Of course, he was treated financially by someone who could dominate the league.
In the year after receiving the MVP award, however, Seo suffered a major injury that ruptured the posterior cruciate ligament of his right knee due to a collision with the opponent team's defense at the first base, which saw his athletic ability plummet. He used to cover the second base with fast feet, even though he did not have strong shoulders, but his defense collapsed after the injury. He displayed good performance as he recorded 39, 26, and 48 stolen bases for the past three years before the injury, but had no season of 30 steals since the injury. As batting indicators gradually declined from 2020, most of his strengths as MVP have disappeared. His value as a free agent plunged due to his advanced age in the process of playing as a free agent in the fourth round.
After all, he became the least fortunate player among all MVP players. Since the introduction of the free agent system in the KBO League in 2000, a total of 15 MVP players have been appointed excluding foreign players. Among them, Seo has the smallest total amount of free agent contracts among 12 MVP-turned players except for Ryu Hyun-jin (Hanwha), who returned to the Major League after joining the Major League under multi-year contracts, Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco Giants) who moved to the Major League before becoming a free agent, and Kim Do-young (KIA), who has five more seasons to play as a free agent.
Many of the MVP players went overseas. Lee Seung-yeop, who played for eight years in Japan in 2016, Yoon Seok-min (nine billion won for four years in KIA in 2015), Lee Dae-ho (four years and 15 billion won for KT in 2017), Park Byung-ho (three years and 3 billion won for KT in 2022), Yang Hyeon-jong (one year and 2.25 billion won for KIA in 2017 and 10.3 billion won for KIA in four years and 8.5 billion won for SK in 2017), made a lot of money overseas and secured a lot of money through FA contracts in Korea.
Among the MVPs who did not go overseas are Park Kyung-wan (1.9 billion won for three years at SK in 2003 and 1 billion won for two years at SK in 2007), Bae Young-soo (2.15 billion won for three years at Hanwha in 2015), Son Min-han (1.5 billion won for one year at Lotte in 2009), Kim Sang-hyun (1.7 billion won for three years at KT in 2016), and Kim Jae-hwan (11.5 billion won for four years at Doosan in 2022). Son Min-han's 1.5 billion won was the smallest, but it was a contract that was announced to be reduced due to the multi-year contract and no down payment regulations between 2009 and 2010. In reality, Kim Sang-hyun's 1.7 billion won was the lowest contract among MVPs, but it has been changed to Seo Geon-chang this time. It is the first free agent contract of less than 1 billion won among MVPs.
Although the conditions are not satisfactory, it is meaningful that he finally made a contract as an MVP after being released from the team twice and overcame trials. If he excels in this year's FA contract, he will also increase his presence as an MVP. "I am happy to be able to lag behind my hometown team once again," Seo said after signing the contract. "I feel responsible as an old player. This is what my team needs," Seo said. "I will work with young players to secure the championship trophy in Gwangju this season as well."