KIA manager Lee Bum-ho felt the importance of young pitchers in trade-related questions and answers more this year
Jul 29, 2025
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Manager Lee Bum-ho explained why he made a surprise trade ahead of the 2025 KBO League Doosan Bears match at KIA Champions Field in Gwangju on the 29th.
KIA made a 3-3 'Big Deal' with the NC Dinos on the 28th. The main point is to exchange outfielders and bullpen must-win groups.
KIA recruited pitcher Kim Si-hoon and Han Jae-seung and infielder Chung Hyeon-chang from NC. NC brought outfielder Choi Won-joon and Lee Woo-sung and infielder Hong Jong-pyo from KIA.
KIA recently lost six consecutive games as must-win group Jung Hae-young and Cho Sang-woo exposed their anxiety. They were tied for fifth place. At this rate, it is believed that the mound has been reinforced in a sense of crisis that autumn baseball is also in jeopardy.
◇ A question-and-answer with KIA manager Lee Bum-ho
-They changed it
▶Pitchers were also needed. It is difficult to trade players who can be used in the first team. Each team needs players. It was difficult because they were the players who had to win. From our point of view, pitchers were needed rather than outfielders. Since they are young pitchers in their mid-20s, I also thought it would not be bad when looking at the future. Chung Hyun-chang is also a friend who has so many good stories in Futures. I decided that he could be a player who would be of great help to us when we saw the future.
-The role of the two pitchers is.
▶I'm going to do Youngtak's situation together. There were many games where we lost in the fifth inning in the sixth inning or in the fourth to sixth innings, or in the bullpen, giving points. The fact that there are so many games like that was thrown by the players that these players threw in the must-win group in an important situation. I thought it would be better to strengthen before going to the must-win group. I used the players who had experience in the first team and threw in the second team from the 4th to the 6th
-Did you make a suggestion first.
▶ As we talked about this and that while drinking a cup of coffee, the manager thought of the fielder, and there are many fast and good pitchers in NC, so the team does the same from my point of view. It's good to have a lot of young pitchers. It's a season where I felt that pitchers are very important. In particular, I felt even better this year when looking at the future of the team, that young pitchers have a lot of them.
-What are the advantages?
▶ Han Jae-seung was excluded from the first team to select him. We'll use it as a bullpen. 150km is enough to throw. Kim Si-hoon is a player that coach Lee Ho-joon also tried to use as a must-win group at the beginning of the season. I was in Futures because my speed didn't go up, but if I change the atmosphere, they've played a lot of games. Rather than players without data, I wanted a young player who had accumulated through experience in the first team. In the current situation, there is also experience. Advantages and disadvantages may be clear, but if we use it well, we will be able to play well enough in the bullpen.
-How did you feel about leaving Lee Woosung Choi Wonjun
▶ The players are the same, and I am the same. They are the players who were together. It's not an easy task. Choi Won-joon is a free agent after this season. It seems that Lee Woo-sung also needed some change again. We had enough resources for the outfielders to play. There were also young outfielders. I thought a lot that I needed pitching power rather than outfield. I hope they go and make good performances because they are the players that coach Lee Ho-joon stuck to. We talked on the phone. Everyone says thank you, but that's sad in itself. However, professional baseball is also a business-critical time. Since each player is trying his best to find a place, I think it would be better for them to change the team and establish a good position and do well in their career.
-Kim Do Young
▶I understand that it will be put into practice this week. I don't know how the game will go. Whether to go to Sangmu match or catch a practice game here and do live batting. I'm going out this week. I think it'll come out in earnest from next week. I was briefed that there was no problem at all.
-After Na Sungbum and Kim Sunbin came back, they lost consecutively
▶Before those friends came in, they started with three consecutive losses against Hanwha. It's not like no one comes in and loses consecutively or wins consecutively. Because I used a lot of power, I lost the game once by a small margin, so I think those parts affected my confidence in important situations. If you play a winning game, those parts can be recovered. The starting pitcher is important as the first. If it continues until this week, I think Oller and Doyoung will be able to enjoy the atmosphere again from next week. If the situation comes, I will prepare well to win by a small margin by reversing what I lost by a small margin even when I was against a strong team.
-What's the schedule for your return?
▶Oller throws about 50 pitches in the second division today. I set the rotation for the match against Hanwha on Sunday.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
