The scene wanted it KIA 500 million FA Mystery...Neglected 2nd Army → Retirement steps
Sep 05, 2025
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KIA Tigers signed infielder Seo Geon-chang to an FA contract of up to 500 million won for 1+1 year ahead of this season. Seo Geon-chang contributed to the overall championship by batting .310 (63 hits in 203 at-bats) and 26 RBIs in 94 games last year, and KIA manager Lee Bum-ho wanted to leave such Seo Geon-chang in his full strength.
However, considering KIA's power plan this season, it was not easy for Seo Geon-chang to enter. Seo Geon-chang played second base for most of his career, but he was evaluated as not enough to push out Kim Sun-bin, the main second baseman in KIA. Last year, Seo Geon-chang earned time to play as a first baseman because the first baseman was Muju Gongsan, but this year, he recruited a new foreign hitter Patrick Wisdom to take over the first baseman. When Seo Geon-chang, who is weak in defense, was used as a designated hitter, Choi Hyung-woo, a built-in veteran hitter, is holding out. In the end, Seo Geon-chang even trained outfield defense in the spring camp in his late 30s.
However, Seo Geon-chang played only 10 games in the first team this year. Although he entered the opening entry, he was sluggish with a batting average of 0.136 (3 for 22), one home run, two RBIs, and an OPS of 0.526. I was notified of my second leg on April 18, but I haven't had a chance to register for the first team for 140 days.
It's not that there hasn't been a seat in the first team. KIA had more injuries this year than any other year. As the main hitters such as Kim Sun-bin, Na Sung-bum, and Kim Do-young were away due to injuries, the fielders who have stayed as backup have a golden opportunity.
Oh Seon-woo filled his expected share of Seo Geon-chang more than expected first. Oh Sun-woo was able to defend the first baseman and corner outfield, and also showed off his big shot's potential. He settled in the central lineup with a batting average of 0.272 (101 hits in 371 at-bats) and 16 homers and 50 RBIs in 104 games. He joined the team in 2019 and stood out in the first division for the first time in seven years. For KIA, it was right to keep giving Oh Sun-woo, who was born in 1996, a chance, rather than Seo Geon-chang, who was born in 1989.
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When Wisdom took over as third baseman without Kim Do-young, Oh Sun-woo played as first baseman or Byun Woo-hyuk got a chance. KIA went to the stance of giving more opportunities to young players while veteran main players were away due to injuries, and Seo Geon-chang had no place to stand.
In the context of lack of motivation, Seo Geon-chang failed to produce a result to refute the decision of the first team in the Futures League. He only hit 0.247 (20 hits in 81 at-bats) with one homer and 10 RBIs in 34 games. Still, he hit one hit in each of the last 10 games, hitting a batting average of 0.321 (9 hits in 28 times at bat) in the last 10 games, but Seo Geon-chang was not called even after the expansion entry was implemented in September. KIA gave young fielders such as Yoon Do-hyun, Park Jae-hyun, and Jung Hae-won a chance.
Seo's 2026 contract will be automatically extended only if it meets this year's options. Since he has spent most of his time in the second division this season, it will not be easy to fill his options. He is in his late 30s and has had a sluggish season this year, so it is unclear whether he will be able to find a team that can play when the options are not met. Even if you don't want to, you are likely to be in a situation where you have to think about retirement.
Seo Geon-chang achieved 201 hits in 2014 when he was a Nexen Heroes (currently Kiwoom) player, setting a 200 hit record for the first time in KBO history. Since he is a player who has drawn a milestone in KBO history, the current situation toward the end is unfortunate.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
