The importance of the center line, which consists of catcher, second baseman, shortstop, and center fielder in baseball, cannot be overstated.
Even in 2017, when Lotte last played fall baseball, it can be confirmed that the solid center line from catcher Kang Min-ho – second baseman Andy Burns – shortstop Moon Kyu-hyun – center fielder Jeon Jun-woo formed the backbone of their strength. However, when Kang Min-ho left Lotte after declaring free agency after the 2017 season, the tragedy of the Lotte center line began.
Lotte tried to rebuild the center line last year, but did not get the desired result. I tried to fill the void left by Kang Min-ho with fostering, but I was frustrated once again. Lee Hak-joo and Park Seung-wook replaced Dixon Machado, who played an active role as Lotte’s infield commander in 2020-2021, but Lee Hak-joo batted .207 with 3 home runs and 15 RBIs, and Park Seung-wook batted .227 with 1 home run and 16 RBIs. couldn’t erase
After parting ways with Machado, he recruited a new foreign hitter, DJ Peters, and set him up as a center fielder, but he also failed to live up to expectations. Peters hit 13 home runs, but his batting average plummeted to .228. Lotte, which parted ways with Peters last season, found comfort in Hwang Seong-bin, who showed growth 바카라사이트with a batting average of .294, 1 home run, 16 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. Lotte’s center line might have collapsed completely if there hadn’t even been An Chi-hong at the second baseman’s position.
Just as Lotte recruited An Chi-hong, who came out of the free agency ahead of the 2020 season, for a total of 5.6 billion won in 2+2 years and reinforced the second baseman, this time also found an answer in the free agency.
It is no exaggeration to say that Lotte is the main character of this Stove League. First, Lotte suddenly recruited Yoo Kang-nam, who has excellent framing skills and communication skills with the pitching staff, for a total of 8 billion won over 4 years. In addition, infielder Noh Jin-hyeok, who has punching power, was captured for a total of 5 billion won over 4 years. A total of 18.6 billion won was spent on the ‘grand construction’ of the center line.
Lotte, who completed major construction work with free agents for catcher, second baseman, and shortstop, can now complete its dream center line if it succeeds in finding a center fielder. Lotte is already a team that has invested in FA even for the center fielder position. When Kang Min-ho left Lotte, he tried to minimize power loss by bringing in FA outfielder Min Byung-hun. However, now Min Byung-hun is not a Lotte player.
Therefore, he has to somehow find a solution in a way that is not free agency as much as center fielder. As for the existing power, Hwang Seong-bin, who accumulated a lot of experience in the first team last year, stands out the most. In addition, Lotte made efforts to strengthen the center line by recruiting Ahn Kwon-soo, who was released from Doosan. Looking far into the future, Na Seung-yeop, a top-class prospect in Sangmu, can also be said to be a candidate for the next-generation center fielder.
The center line has already undergone a major construction project costing 18.6 billion won, but it has not yet been 100% completed. Who will be Lotte’s center fielder who can make the final point?