Kim Jae-hwan's recruitment battle, it's not about moneyAngry public sentiment. The team to be taken is too burdensome
Dec 02, 2025
|
The recruitment of Kim Jae-hwan, a de facto FA without compensation, is in full swing.
It's not the FA, but Kim Jae-hwan is the hottest man in the FA market. At the end of this season, Kim Jae-hwan completed all four-year FA contracts with Doosan Bears worth 11.5 billion won. I was eligible to apply for FA again, but I didn't apply, so I was curious.
And the reason why Kim Jae-hwan did not apply for FA was revealed. When he signed the contract four years ago, he inserted a clause that negotiated with Doosan first and then released the free contract by removing it from the pending list if the negotiations were not concluded. Since there is a system called a non-FA multi-year contract, in this case, Kim Jae-hwan could freely choose a team and sign a multi-year contract without compensation regulations.
The problem was the controversy over the deception and even the betrayal frame was made. It was said that the process of leaving the club, which treated them well as the fans who have been cheering with loyalty, was so uncomfortable. In fact, there is no problem with the regulations at all. However, public opinion about Kim Jae-hwan has fallen to the bottom, saying that this is a moral problem beyond the regulations.
|
The most important thing in FA's multi-year contract is conditions. The length of the contract and the money determine everything about the contract. However, recruiting Kim Jae-hwan has become a situation where it is not a matter of money. If they do something wrong, the team recruiting will also be criticized. It could be like joining Kim Jae-hwan's betrayal.
In recent years, baseball's popularity has soared, and the fan base has become tremendously thick, and the influence of fan sentiment on the management of the club is increasing. No club would want to be criticized for giving billions of won to an older hitter whose performance has plummeted.
If public opinion cools down like this, teams that were considering recruiting Kim Jae-hwan are likely to withdraw. The price rises only when there is competition, but if there is no competition, we may face a situation where we have to sign a contract for a much lower amount than Doosan's offer.
Will Kim Jae-hwan be able to succeed in finding a new team in such a difficult situation.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
