Koo Ja-wook also has 3 billion options, but Kiwoom's 12 billion full guarantee gambling, and the baseball world is in a turmoil

Aug 05, 2025

Sportschosun DB

Koo Ja-wook also has an option of 3 billion won, but will Kiwoom's gambler be...

On the day when it was revealed that Kiwoom Heroes and Song Sung-moon signed a non-FA multi-year contract for a total of 12 billion won for six years 'full guarantee', an incumbent baseball player said "Isn't the bubble too bad?"

An unexplained `out of nowhere' other than the words 'shock' popped. Kiwoom and Song Sung-moon's mega contract worth 12 billion won.

Why is it surprising. Since last year, a player who has suddenly opened his eyes to baseball and played a season and a half well will be on par with Koo Ja-wook (Samsung), a top star representing the league. Since joining the team in 2015, Song Sung-moon has not been able to secure a starting position stably, and since the middle of last year, he has boosted his stat by playing a `crazy performance' and has since gained confidence and continued to rise this year.

12 billion won. This is the amount Koo Ja-wook decided to receive when he signed a non-FA multi-year contract with Samsung. Of course, since Koo Ja-wook is a five-year contract, Koo Ja-wook is the best in terms of annual average, but what is surprising is that Song Seong-moon is a full guarantee. No matter how good a player is, clubs don't use full guarantee cards well for long-term contracts. Baseball is also played by humans, and if it is not motivated, it can become indolent without realizing it. In fact, 3 billion won out of 12 billion won is an option for Koo Ja-wook. Song Sung-moon beat Koo Ja-wook in guaranteed amount.

Naturally, players have no choice but to want full guarantees. If that doesn't work, I'm trying to reduce the weight of options to a minimum. This is because it is difficult to live mentally being chased every day. "When your mentality is stable, you can concentrate more on the game."

But it is not easy to find success stories. First of all, when Noh Jin-hyuk goes to Lotte, he goes under the condition of a full guarantee of 5 billion won, and is in the mode of 'Disrupt'. Jang Hyun-sik, who signed a full guarantee contract of 5.2 billion won with the LG Twins ahead of this season, is also below expectations. Choi Jeong-do, the star of SSG Landers, who was so good at baseball, signed a full guarantee contract of 11 billion won ahead of this season, and his performance is falling sharply. Of course, it is difficult to create a 100% link just because of the full guarantee contract, but it is true that we cannot look at it with doubt.

KBO League match between Kiwoom and KIA at Gocheok Dome on the 7th. hitting Kiwoom Song Sung-moon. Gocheok =Reporter Song Jeong-heon@sportschosun.com/2025.05.07/

Kiwoom also has something to say. He focused on the recent uptrend, rather than his career. On top of that, if the FA market is overheated and a fierce scramble will take place, it is a wise choice to set your mind before that. After all, it's money that appeals to the professional, and the conditions. As the club explained "I fully listened to what the player wanted", but the main point at the end of the negotiations is that the two sides would have engaged in a tug-of-war over options and full guarantees.

However, there is still a question mark on whether Song Sung-moon was a player who deserved a large and full guarantee that will remain in history. In fact, several teams were impressed by Song Sung-moon's performance, and reportedly studied and worked on ways to bring in trade and FA. However, in terms of his career, the value judgment seems to be different as to whether he is willing to give a contract of 'more than 'Gu Ja-wook'. Importantly, Song Sung-moon has no choice but to show his performance.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.