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| A game between the Doosan Bears and the KIA Tigers at Jamsil Stadium on the 4th. KIA right fielder Choi Won-joon is heading to the dugout after completing defense. Jamsil = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.06.04/ |
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Why did KIA make such an extreme trade when they all played in the first team.
It's a really shocking trade that no one expected. It is already interesting to see what kind of grenade this big trade will be in the KBO League in the second half of the year.
KIA Tigers and NC Dinos made a 'surprise' trade. The two teams announced the news of a 3 to 3 trade on the 28th when there was no baseball. Choi Won-joon, Lee Woo-sung and Hong Jong-pyo will go from KIA, and Kim Si-hoon, Han Jae-seung and Chung Hyun-chang will move from NC.
Usually, when news of the trade is announced, the intentions of the teams are clearly visible. It's usually to fill in the necessary parts. However, this trade is a trade that made me think for a long time about 'What the hell is it?' However, if you look at the situation of both teams, there are parts that I understand.
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| A game between the Doosan Bears and the KIA Tigers at Jamsil Stadium on the 3rd. KIA right fielder Choi Won-joon is regretful after catching a Doosan Cave fly ball in the top of the fifth inning with two outs and a runner on second base. Jamsil = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.06.03/ |
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When it comes to name value, I first think 'What's wrong with KIA?' Choi Won-joon is the leading player in KIA's victory last year. Since joining the team in 2016, KIA has raised him dearly and has also played an active role in the national team. He had 174 hits in the 2021 season, and also recorded 292 full-time last year. He has punchy power and adheres to his outfield defense.
However, it has been extremely sluggish this year. a batting average of .229. The problem was the preliminary FA season. KIA's trade card for the star player means that its will to sign an FA contract has disappeared. In that sense, it's a good trade card. If you use a player you won't catch anyway and bring in the power you need.
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| KBO League Kiwoom and KIA at Gocheok Dome on May 5. KIA Lee Woo-sung hit by pitch in the eighth inning. Gocheok=Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.05.05/ |
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Lee Woo-sung is also one of the main players who won last year's championship. He took the lead in the 2023 season and last season and hit hard. He hit .300 in the 2023 season. He also sacrificed himself from the outfield to the first base and back to the outfield for the team. However, like Choi Won-joon, he has been so sluggish this year. As Oh Sun-woo began to play in the first team, his position gradually narrowed.
Let's look at the players KIA brought in. Infield exchanges Hong Jong-pyo and Chung Hyun-chang are left out of the field, while Kim Si-hoon and Han Jae-seung are key. Both are players who can play right in the bullpen. They lost their place under coach Lee Ho-joon this season, but they make expectations that they can take charge of one inning in the first team.
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| LG-KIA match held at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 22nd. Jung Hae-young, who took the mound in the top of the ninth inning but allowed a tie, is being replaced. Gwangju = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.7.22/ |
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KIA lost six consecutive games at the start of the second half. Jung Hae-young and Jo Sang-woo's poor performance were too shocking. It seems that it is difficult to rebound under the current bullpen situation. There is no club that will give up a must-win group to play in the first team right away, so it is highly likely that they have found and found players who can be brought in and used right away among the players who have recently lost their opportunities.
Recently, Kim Ho-ryeong and Ko Jong-wook have been active, and the outfield has become more abundant than expected. Only by using the names Choi Won-joon and Lee Woo-sung could any pitcher get it. That's how the big deal between KIA and NC was made.
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| A game between the NC Dinos and the Hanwha Eagles at Munsu Baseball Stadium in Ulsan on the 20th. NC Han Jae-seung is pitching hard. Ulsan=Park Jae-man Reporter pjm@sportschosun.com/2025.05.20/ |
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Choi Won-joon may seem like a waste, but he is a preliminary FA. It may not be a big loss if you bring a player who can save a lot of money and spend it. However, this trade can be said to be a success only when one of Kim Si-hoon and Han Jae-seung shows a performance that can play in the must-win group right away.
It is not the time for NC to give up its fight for the semifinals. In the meantime, it is possible to form an outfield line leading to Kwon Hee-dong, Choi Won-joon, and Park Gun-woo. The center fielder was the homework. Lee Woo-sung's ability to enter the first base as an alternative card for Davison, who has been vacant for more than a month right now, may have shaken NC's mind.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
