I’m about to turn 30. He is confident after his strong performance in his second year in Korea.
The Lotte Giants still have one spot open for a foreign pitcher. The team re-signed Aaron Wilkerson to a $950,000 contract earlier this year, but re-signing Charlie Barnes, who has been a mainstay of Lotte’s starting rotation for two years, is not easy.
Barnes’ 2.05 ERA in the second half of the season was first in the league. He surpassed teammate Wilkerson (2.26), as well as David Buchanan (Samsung, 2.06), William Cuevas (KT, 2.09), and Ariel Hurtado (Kiwoom, 2.25). Notably, it was also better than the second half performance of season MVP Eric Peddy (2.28).
His WHIP (hits + walks allowed per inning) was 1.27, which is high compared to the rest of the field, so it’s safe to say that he had some luck along with his excellent command. However, contrary to the perception that he is a fastball and changeup-oriented pitcher, he also struck out 75 batters in the second half of the season, ranking fourth overall behind Peddy (100), Wilkerson (81), and Cuevas (77). He also appears to be entering his prime pitching years.
Manager Kim Tae-hyung has also expressed his satisfaction with Barnes, 카지노사이트킴 telling the club to “hold on to him. A big bat to add to the Wilkerson-Barnes-Park trio is Kim’s most basic plan for next year.
Barnes earned $1.2 million this year, including a signing bonus.
If he re-signs with Lotte, his salary is expected to be similar to Casey Kelly’s ($1.5 million). If Barnes chooses a challenge over stability, he won’t be easy to catch.
He got a taste of the big leagues with the Minnesota Twins in 2021, just before coming to Korea. Although he only pitched in nine games and 38 innings (3 losses, 3.92 ERA), he has already proven that he can at least handle the big leagues. Born in 1995, Nay could join the ranks of Merrill Kelly, Chris Flexen, and Chris Reilly in the so-called “reverse export myth. This might be his last chance to make it to the big leagues.
Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) is also in the mix. Japanese media outlets have reported several times that Japanese clubs such as the Seibu Lions are in talks with Barnes.
Lotte has also been linked to Dylan Peters of the NPB’s Yakult Swallows. There are even claims from the Japanese side that Peters’ move to Lotte has already been finalized.
Lotte responded by saying, “We are negotiating with all possibilities open.” At least for now, it’s not a done deal. Barnes’ contract negotiations are still ongoing. Lotte’s “decision” is expected to be made in early December.