The Hanwha Eagles have emerged as the eye of the Stovrig typhoon. After signing proven right-handed second baseman Ahn Chi-hong, they selected SSG Landers legend Kim Kang-min in the second round of the draft. The focus is now on reinforcements.
The KBO held the KBO 2024 Secondary Draft on April 22 at 2 p.m. at The K Hotel in Yangjae-dong, Seoul.
The biggest stories of the day were the selections of Choi Joo-hwan and Kim Kang-min. With the first pick of the first round, Kiwoom Heroes selected SSG infielder Choi Joo-hwan. Hanwha, who had acquired Ahn Chi-hong in the free agency market on the 20th, selected veteran outfielder Kim Kang-min with their fourth round pick. The move also demonstrates the organization's commitment to bolstering its lineup.
Hanwha had one of the weakest offenses in the KBO last year. They ranked last in team batting average (0.241), team runs scored (604), and team OPS (on-base percentage + team slugging percentage, 0.675). They had center fielder Noh Si-hwan, who led the league in home runs (31) and RBIs (101), and free agent signing Chae Eun-sung, but that was it. There was a reason for this aggressive bolstering of the lineup.
Hanwha fired manager Carlos Subero at the beginning of the 2023 season, ending the "rebuilding era". They're even starting a new stadium in 2025. Their current record (9th place) is not good enough. Even though they have reinforced their batting lineup, it's not clear that Ahn Chi-hong alone can revitalize the slumping Hanwha batting lineup. Kim Kang-min may not join Hanwha and may even announce his retirement. This is why Hanwha could look to add more depth.
One resource that could add weight to the current Hanwha batting order is Yang Seok-hwan. With left-handed hitter Choi Joo-hwan being selected by Kiwoom in the second round of the draft, Hanwha's options narrowed down to Yang. 온라인카지노"
Yang, a right-handed slugger, hit .281 with 21 home runs, 89 RBIs and a .786 OPS this season. He has hit 20 or more home runs in each of the last three seasons. He has clearly demonstrated his power while playing at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, the largest ballpark in the KBO.
For Hanwha, however, Yang's position is unfortunate. Yang has been the starting first baseman for the Doosan Bears for the past three years. This is the same position that Hanwha's "No. 4" hitter, Chae Eun-sung, plays.
Of course, you could simply use one of Yang or Chae as the designated hitter, or you could use Chae, a former outfielder, in right field. However, Chae Eun-sung was switched to first base because of the strain on her outfield defense. Playing her in the outfield is likely to hurt Hanwha in the long run.
Second baseman Ahn Chi-hong, another free agent signing, has played first base frequently in the last two years. This is because his defensive range is shrinking as he reaches his mid-30s. In a year or two, Ahn, Yang Seok-hwan, and Chae Eun-sung could overlap at first base and designated hitter. This could be a ticking time bomb that could spell trouble for Hanwha in the salary cap era. Hanwha is making an aggressive move to bolster its batting lineup. With the loss of Choi Joo-hwan, Yang Seok-hwan is the most obvious choice to bolster the lineup. However, there is the issue of position redundancy when it comes to signing Yang. It will be interesting to see what Hanwha's stance on Yang will be in the upcoming StubHub League.