Son Ah-seop's surprise trip to Hanwha → 19 years + 2134G Should we solve our old aspirations? Who's next?
Aug 01, 2025
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Son Ah-seop changed his uniform to Hanwha Eagles for 300 million won in cash and a rookie third-round pick on the 31st of last month, when the trade deadline was nearing.
He is a living legend who ranks first in all time with 2,583 hits, ahead of Choi Hyung-woo (2,548 hits) and Park Yong-taek (2,504). In the fourth year of his FA contract with NC, in fact, he failed to show his value except for 2023.
On top of that, it is the third FA after this season, so it is grade C, and the transfer is uncertain due to sluggish performance for the last two consecutive years. Still, it was traded for a surprisingly low price for everyone in the baseball world.
It's an unexpected trade, maybe a transfer that can hurt pride for a player, but it could be an opportunity to achieve one's wish.
For Son Ah-seop, it is meaningful that he will move to Hanwha, the No. 1 team that is likely to advance to the Korean Series, regardless of the team's unclear advance to the postseason. Son Ah-seop, who is 37 years old and in the final years of his career, has no experience in the Korean Series yet. He holds the record of 'longest experience in the Korean Series' among active players in all 10 professional baseball teams.
In the 44-year history of professional baseball since its inception in 1982, only two active players have exceeded 2,000 games without advancing to the Korean Series. Lee Dae-ho (2199 games) is among the retired players, but only Kang Min-ho and Son Ah-seop of the Samsung Lions are among the active players.
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Son was one of the leading candidates who could break Kang's record. NC was unfortunately blocked in the playoffs in 2023, and since last year, it has become a team that rarely makes it to the expectation of the pre-season semifinals.
However, Son Ah-seop's record slowed down as he played only 82 games last year and 76 games this season due to recent injuries and sluggishness. In the end, the possibility of advancing to the Korean Series increased significantly as they left NC and changed their uniforms to 'No. 1 team'Hanwha.
Son Ah-seop has played 2,134 games so far this year, but if he participates in the Korean Series this year, 2,058 games, which is until last year, will be the final record. It's over 2,000 games, but Kang Min-ho may not.
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It is difficult to survive as a corner outfielder, and Hanwha is expected to be used as a designated hitter, but if he fails to perform well for his position, he may be excluded from the entry.
If Hanwha is in the Korean Series, and he is excluded from the entry, Son Ah-seop will not find a more unfair situation than that. This is why it is important to spend the rest of the season after returning from injury.
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As Hanwha and Lotte are currently ranked first and third, the two teams can advance to the Korean Series together. If that happens, Jeon Jun-woo and Jung Hoon and Yoo Kang-nam will be released from the record at once.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
