I didn't know this would end up with 2.4 billion investments, will KIA think about renewing its contract…a player who threw for the team

Sep 18, 2025

I didn't know this would end up with 2.4 billion investments, will KIA think about renewing its contract…a player who threw for the team
The match between the KIA Tigers and the LG Twins at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 23rd. KIA's nail is pitching hard. Gwangju = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.08.23/



"He threw it well, and he threw it for the team without any problems, whether it's a four-day turn or a five-day turn."

KIA Tigers ace James Nail's season ended so futilely. It's because of elbow inflammation.

KIA removed its nails from its first-team entry ahead of the match against the Hanwha Eagles in Gwangju on the 18th. Nail canceled the game against Hanwha in Gwangju on the 16th due to poor sales during the catch ball process on the 15th. Nail, who took a break and watched the condition of her arm, expressed her intention to start against the Gwangju NC Dinos on the 21st, but blocked it at the club level.




KIA has no reason to force its nails to take the mound. KIA is currently in eighth place. Although there is still a possibility of the fifth round, it is possible only when a huge miracle occurs. It is virtually impossible.

If the nail was not injured, he would have respected his willingness to throw, but after conducting an MRI examination at the hospital on the 17th, he heard of elbow inflammation. The club recommended that the season end as it is, and Nail responded with a lot of regret, but had no choice but to follow the club's will.

Kia had no choice but to consider it until next year. Nails are definitely eligible for renewal. He recorded 8-4 with 164 ⅓ innings, 152 strikeouts and a 2.25 ERA in 27 games this season. It is listed at the top of all indicators.




KIA signed a total of 1.8 million dollars (about 2.4 billion won) with Nail ahead of this season. I was worried about signing a contract with a U.S. Major League club, but fortunately, Nail made up her mind to accompany KIA for another season. KIA promised the best treatment to Nail, who ranked first in ERA (2.53), last year.

Nail had the best performance for KIA for the second consecutive year, but durability can be questioned. Last year, he pitched 149 ⅓ innings due to an unexpected injury caused by a hit in the face, but this year, he was thoroughly managed by excluding him from the first-team entry for about 10 days even when the last-minute ranking fight in the first half was fierce. Nevertheless, it seems that the club needs to think about it before renewing the contract as it has an elbow problem at the end of the season.

I didn't know this would end up with 2.4 billion investments, will KIA think about renewing its contract…a player who threw for the team
A match between KIA and Samsung held at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 10th. KIA's nail roars after overcoming the crisis of a full base run with two outs in the fifth inning. Gwangju =Song Jeong-heon, Reporter Song@sportschosun.com/2025.09.10/
I didn't know this would end up with 2.4 billion investments, will KIA think about renewing its contract…a player who threw for the team
The KBO League KT Wiz and KIA Tigers match held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 29th. KIA starter Nail is talking with coach Lee Dong-gul and catcher Han Jun-su. Suwon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.08.29/
When asked if Nail's season out was a move to look at next year, KIA manager Lee Bum-ho said, `He threw it well, and he threw it for the team without any problems, whether it was a four-day turn or a five-day turn. I think it's right to judge like this now,' he said.

Currently, there are enough rest days due to the remaining game schedule, so an alternative starter for Nail is not expected to be needed immediately. Lee Eui-ri will start against Gwangju NC on the 21st, and after that, Kim Tae-hyung, Adam Oler, and Yang Hyun-jong will turn the rotation for now. An alternative starter is expected to be needed about one game, and he is considering a call-up in the Futures League.

KIA's starting pitchers, including nails, suffered from injuries this year. Aller also took a two-month break from the end of the first half due to elbow inflammation, and Kim Do-hyun also recently ended the season due to elbow inflammation. Yoon Young-chul underwent surgery for left arm flexor damage and also ended the season. There are only three players out of the season. It is true that whenever KIA was pushed back in the ranking fight, the starting hole was made and the mound was overloaded.

In this regard, coach Lee said, `There was a time when I had to rest due to inflammation, not a big injury after throwing hard. I think it should be checked that if the number of innings exceeds this level, this player could be injured. I think it should be a season to judge how (Kim) Do-hyun should solve it when he throws 120 innings, how many innings (Lee) will throw next year, and how much his individual ability is for each player. It is regrettable that the starting pitchers are injured when it is important, but we need to manage them more thoroughly so that there are no injuries next year. I will check more clearly after the season is over."

I didn't know this would end up with 2.4 billion investments, will KIA think about renewing its contract…a player who threw for the team
Gwangju Kia Champions Field on the 16th. KIA Nail, Oler and Hanwha Moon Dong-joo are greeting. Gwangju = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.9.16/




This article was translated by Naver AI translator.