30 KIA and Okinawa are confirmed in preparation for the FA leak, which is expected to be absent from the general manager...3 rookie fielders + coach Takahashi will join us

Nov 01, 2025

The match between the KIA Tigers and the NC Dinos at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 27th. Kim Min-kyu, who was selected in the 2026 KBO Rookie Draft, is greeting his fans. Gwangju = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.09.27/

The match between the KIA Tigers and the NC Dinos at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 27th. Park Jong-hyuk, who was selected in the 2026 KBO Rookie Draft, is greeting his fans. Gwangju = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.09.27/

The match between the KIA Tigers and the NC Dinos at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 27th. Han Jun-hee, who was selected in the 2026 KBO Rookie Draft, is greeting his fans. Gwangju = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.09.27/

KIA Tigers are preparing for the new season. As there is a risk of internal FA leakage, it is expected to focus on preparing for variables.

KIA will start final training at Kin Stadium in Okinawa, Japan from the 3rd to the 24th" he informed.

Kia is expected to be especially busy this winter. Shortstop Park Chan-ho, who heated up the FA market from an early age, is emerging as the biggest fish, and there are six rabbits to crack down on, including Yang Hyun-jong, Choi Hyung-woo, Cho Sang-woo, Lee Joon-young and Han Seung-taek.

KIA general manager Shim Jae-han expressed his intention to focus on FA negotiations for now. He plans to spend a busy time immediately so that he can't be with him at the Okinawa closing camp.

It would be nice if Shim succeeded in cracking down on all internal FA, but there is a limit if the ransom skyrockets due to competition for recruitment. At the closing camp site, it is expected to focus on preparing for possible power leaks.

Three rookie players will participate in this final camp in 2026, all of them fielders. Third-round outfielder Kim Min-kyu, seventh-round infielder Park Jong-hyuk, and ninth-round infielder Han Jun-hee were named. Since they are all high school fielders, it is unclear whether they will be in full force immediately from next season, but it is clear that KIA manager Lee Bum-ho wants to check for himself.

Among this year's main players, pitcher Lee Eui-ri, catcher Han Jun-su, and infielder Oh Sun-woo, Park Min, Kim Kyu-sung were listed. Oh Sun-woo, who challenged the main first baseman next season, claimed to accompany him to the closing camp for intensive defensive training, and Han Jun-su is also one of the key players selected by coach Lee next season. Park Min, Kim Kyu-sung, and Jung Hyun-chang are players who need to grow one step further in preparation for Park Chan-ho's leak.

The Hanwha-KIA match held at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 16th. KIA manager Lee Bum-ho is watching the game. Gwangju = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.9.16/

In the game between KT and KIA at Gwangju KIA Champions Field on the 5th, KIA manager Lee Bum-ho is guiding Jeong Hyeon-chang, Park Min and Kim Kyu-sung's defensive training. Gwangju = Reporter's book@sportschosun.com/2025.09.05/

Manager Lee said, `This closing camp will focus on making up for what has been lacking this season. Intensive training, such as building the physical strength for players to complete the season to the end and detailed defensive guidance to minimize errors, will continue," he predicted.

After failing to advance to the fall baseball league by ranking eighth this year, KIA broke up with its leaders who shared the unified championship last year. He broke up with coaches Jeong Jae-hoon, Takeshi Nakamura, Kim Sang-hoon, Cho Jae-young, Yoon Hae-jin, and Lee Jung-ho, and made a new round.

The first team recruited Kim Ji-yong, a bullpen coach, Ko Young-min, an operational base running coach, and Kim Yeon-hoon, an outfielder, and a base running coach from outside.

The second-tier pitcher part has hired new Japanese coach Ken Takahashi and coach Park Jung-bae.

Coach Takahashi will join the newly carved first-team coaching team in this final camp. Coach Takahashi was a left-handed pitcher and played for the Hiroshima Toyokaf in the Japanese professional baseball league and the New York Mets in the U.S. Major League Baseball. Since 2016, he has turned into a leader and served as a second-tier pitcher part for the Hanshin Tigers until 2021, and in 2022, he served as a first-team pitching coach in his hometown of Hiroshima. From 2023 to this year, he will be in charge of Hiroshima's second-tier pitcher part and will be together at KIA from next season. Coach Takahashi will help guide the pitching staff, which is mainly composed of promising players.