There were several key players, so the list was delivered. Will there be a shock transfer storm
Nov 13, 2025
|
Ahead of the second draft of the KBO League, which will be held on the 19th, the list of 35 protected players prepared by each club has been confirmed. This year, the number of automatic protection targets has increased a little more. In addition to players in their first to third years of joining, who were automatically excluded from the 2nd draft, players in their fourth year of joining, players with military retention and four-year history of nurturing among nurturing players were also excluded from the nomination. In other words, the scope of protection has expanded a little more. Young players, who have not even had a chance to use the club, are more likely to tie up as much as possible and be released mainly by players who have already given them a chance or are excluded from future plans.
The clubs finalized the protected list immediately after the end of the Korean Series, and KBO notified each club of the list. Currently, clubs are busy making operational meetings and preparing countermeasures to see who has the power to be 'plus' in the team's power after being handed the list.
The protected roster is kept completely under wraps. Therefore, it has not been disclosed since the end of the second draft. It's the same this time. However, clubs are holding strategic meetings by rewriting the list of players who are not tied to the protected list.
In the exclusion list examined by the clubs, many players who can play as the main players in the first division seem to have been released. Rumor has it that there are still players who have a remaining FA contract period, and several veteran players who are currently unable to take the opportunity to play in their teams. On the contrary, some of the players who considered it likely to be excluded from the protected list in the second draft have not been solved and tied up. Differences occurred depending on how tight the protected list entry was and whether there was room for each club.
In particular, the biggest issue among players with name values is whether a shock transfer will occur. However, having a first-team career does not necessarily mean that the team will be moved through the second draft. The teams that nominate are also very cautious. The biggest problem is annual salary. As the calculation has become more complicated due to the salary cap, no matter how much it is released, you cannot choose it unconditionally. It is also a matter to consider the harmony with existing players and the plan of power.
In the second draft held in 2024, rumors spread early that SSG Landers excluded Choi Joo-hwan, a former FA recruiter, from the protected list, and Kiwoom Heroes actually pointed to Choi Joo-hwan as the No. 1 overall pick in the first round.
In addition, the Doosan Bears are currently using LG Twins catcher Kim Ki-yeon as a backup catcher in the first round, and KT Wiz has named veteran pitcher Woo Kyu-min, who was released from the Samsung Lions protection list. And the entire baseball world was in shock as SSG outfielder Kim Kang-min, who was not tied up without retirement-related consultations, was nominated by Hanwha in the fourth round and the last order overall.
This year, clubs took the list more thoroughly, taking the example of what happened at the time. The probability of a 'shock' such as the Kim Kang-min incident seems small, but a large transfer can be a reality.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
