Lotte Giants, who were criticized for having a thin player base
chose money instead of players as compensation for free agent (FA) infielder Ahn Chi-hong’s transfer to Hanwha Eagles.
It is quite unusual for Lotte to lose an internal free agent and only receive compensation 안전놀이터
because they sought a replacement player to fill the infield void and there was no player worthy of being brought in from Hanwha.
Lotte announced on the 27th that it had decided to receive 1 billion won in compensation for free agent Ahn Chi-hong
who transferred to Hanwha.
Ahn Chi-hong, who acquired his second free agent qualification
signed a contract with Hanwha on the 20th for up to 7.2 billion won for 4+2 years.
The amount of compensation for Ahn Chi-hong, who was in FA B grade
is 100% of the salary of the previous season and 25 protected players and one player, or 200% of the salary of the previous season.
After much deliberation, Lotte decided to receive only compensation money without compensating players.
Ahn Chi-hong’s annual salary for the 2023 season is 500 million won, and Hanwha must pay 1 billion won in compensation to Lotte.
It has been 9 years since Lotte received only compensation for an internal FA transfer.
Lotte, which ended the 2014 season, was unable to retain all three of its internal free agents
with Jang Won-jun leaving for the Doosan Bears and Kim Sa-yul and Park Ki-hyuk leaving for KT Wiz.
Lotte received 640 million won (200% of the previous season’s annual salary)
in compensation from Doosan for Jang Won-jun and compensation player Jeong Jae-hoon, but received only 660 million won in compensation from KT without any compensation players for Kim Sa-yul and Park Ki-hyuk.
Even if KT wanted to bring in compensation players, it was impossible.
At the time, when KT, which was participating in the KBO League for the first time, recruited an external free agent
it received the benefit of a new club that only had to compensate 300% of the previous season’s annual salary without compensating players.
Except for cases where the designation of free agent compensation players was restricted according to regulations
Lotte has always recruited compensation players whenever an internal free agent transferred over the past 15 years.
Looking only after 2017, Cho Moo-geun was named as a compensation player for Hwang Jae-gyun (KT)
Na Won-tak was named as a compensation player for Kang Min-ho (Samsung Lions), and Moon Gyeong-chan was named as a compensation player for Son Ah-seop (NC Dinos).
For this reason, it is surprising that Lotte chose only compensation money without a compensation player as compensation for Ahn Chi-hong’s transfer.
Lotte also did not plan from the beginning not to nominate compensation players from Hanwha.
Coach Kim Tae-hyung and the Lotte front office received a list from Hanwha excluding 25 protected players
but there were no suitable players to select. In the end, after much deliberation, we changed direction to focus on internal development.
They also recruited a replacement for Ahn Chi-hong, who played second base and first base.
Lotte failed to recruit Choi Joo-hwan (Kiwoom Heroes) in the second draft held on the 22nd
but strengthened the infield by appointing Oh Seon-jin and Choi Hang.