The maximum amount that KBO League clubs can invest when recruiting new foreign players is $1 million. If the club is a new foreign player at a cost of $1 million, it means that it has received such high evaluation and expectations.
But a million dollars cannot be a guaranteed check. This year, three of the five foreign pitchers who entered the KBO League for $1 million packed their bags.
KIA applied to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on the 6th for Shaun Anderson’s wafer disclosure.
Anderson, who joined hands with KIA for a total of $1 million, including a down payment of $100,000, an annual salary of $600,000, and an option of $300,000, will leave the KBO League after recording four wins, seven losses and a 3.76 ERA in 14 games this season.
Until April, he did well with three wins, two losses, and a 2.58 ERA, but fell into a severe slump with three losses and a 7.71 ERA without a victory in May.
Anderson, who was excluded from the first team at the end of May and had some time to readjust, held out with one win, two losses and a 2.96 ERA in four games after his return. However, he failed to instill confidence in the team, with his schedule delayed due to finger blisters.
KIA, which was pushed to the bottom, decided to send Anderson out and recruit Thomas Panoni, who was with him last year, as an alternative foreign pitcher.
KIA manager Kim Jong-kook said, “I wanted 메이저놀이터 추천 a better player, a proven player. “The team needed a stable player to win a little more, so we replaced him,” he explained.
The “$1 million pitcher” also took the disgrace of the release of the first foreign player this year. Birch Smith, who left the Hanwha Eagles less than a month after the opening, is the main character.
Smith started in the opening game against the Kiwoom Heroes on April 1, but was substituted for complaining of shoulder pain in the third inning. There was no second appearance for Smith, who threw only 60 pitches and came down the mound.
Smith, who was diagnosed with right shoulder muscle damage, had a longer gap, contrary to the original explanation of a minor injury. Eventually, Hanwha announced Smith’s release on April 19.
Hanwha’s comfort is that Ricardo Sanchez, who was brought for $400,000 a year as an alternative foreign player, plays a special performance with five wins, no losses, and a 1.48 ERA in nine games.
There are also $1 million foreigners who were kicked out without ever standing on the KBO League mound. SSG Landers Eni Romero was only rehabilitated due to shoulder pain during spring camp, and Waver was announced early last month.
Of course, there is a million-dollar pitcher who makes his team laugh with his performance as much as he invested.
NC Dinos’ Eric Pedi, who is considered the best foreign pitcher in the KBO League this season, is active with 11 wins, 2 losses, and a 1.73 ERA. He is showing off his overwhelming skills as second place in strikeouts (103) by ranking first in multiple wins and ERA alone.
Kiwoom Heroes’ Ariel Furado has 5 wins, 8 losses, and a 2.87 ERA. Considering that the score support per game (R/G) is 2.29, which is less than the league average (2.80), it is convincing to interpret that losing more than winning is not good luck rather than poor performance.
Among the $1 million foreign hitters, only SSG Guillermo Herredia is doing its part.
In 74 games, Eredia hit 0.338 with nine home runs and 54 RBIs, ranking first in batting average, tied for third in RBIs, and second in hits (97).
NC Jason Martin has a batting average of 0.277, five home runs and 28 RBIs, while Doosan Bears’ Jose Rojas has yet to show any significant performance with a batting average of 0.222, 10 home runs and 28 RBIs.