“You asked for more than I thought, so…”
Hanwha infielder Lee Do-yoon, 28, hasn’t had the luxury of negotiating a new contract every winter. Since joining the team in 2015, he has spent more time in the second team than the first, and has simply stamped his name on the contract as it was handed to him. Last year, in his ninth year, he earned only 34 million won. It was the lowest salary in the league (30 million won).
However, last year’s performance as the best cost-effective player in the team marked a new turning point in his baseball career. He started the season in the second team, but after being called up to the first team on May 20, he didn’t miss the opportunity. In June, he took over the shortstop position that had been vacant due to Ha Joo-seok’s suspension, Park Jung-hyun’s slump, and Oh Sun-jin’s injury.
He played a career-high 106 games at first base
At shortstop, he was solid defensively with eight errors in 97 games (90 starts, 746 innings). He contributed to the team in all areas of the offense, 토토사이트 from his above-average hitting ability to his double-digit stolen bases. Hanwha manager Choi Won-ho also praised him, saying, “In terms of contribution to salary, Lee Do-yoon is probably the best, and he should be paid a lot.”
For the first time, Lee Do-yoon sat down at the table with his agent in anticipation of the ‘salary negotiation’. He came in ready for a bit of a tug-of-war at the negotiating table, but after hearing the club’s initial offer, he talked to his agent for a while and then put his stamp on it. “They (the club) wanted more than I thought, so I signed the contract at once,” he recalled.
According to the 2024 contract announced by Hanwha on Sept. 29, Lee received 75 million won. This is a 41 million won increase from last year’s 34 million won. That’s a 120.6 percent salary increase. This is the fourth highest increase in the team after last year’s rookie of the year Moon Dong-joo (33 million won → 100 million won, 203.0%), home run king Noh Si-hwan (131 million won → 350 million won, 167.2%), and rookie Moon Hyun-bin (30 million won → 80 million won, 166.7%).
Although he was pleased with his new contract
It’s important for him to secure his spot for the new season. “I didn’t realize it when I played last season, but there were parts of my body that lost strength as I played for a long time,” says Lee. My heels and calves became tight and sore, so I did a lot of exercises in the winter to strengthen them.” “I was also disappointed that I didn’t manage my physical fitness,” he said. “It was the first time I played so much, so I didn’t know how to manage it.
“When I look back on last year, I was lucky in general, because sometimes when I was down and out, a miss would turn into a hit, and the defense would do what I had in my head, so I was able to hold on,” he said. “This year, there is more competition in the team, so the players have to work harder. We will all improve as we compete.”
The competition Lee is referring to is also for the shortstop position. Hanwha coach Choi Won-ho said, “Lee Do-yoon and Ha Ju-seok compete on the same line. The player with the best physical condition is the starter.” Ha finished last year’s season in the second team due to a lack of experience in the field following a suspension, but he has been on fire this year. The Melbourne Spring Camp in Australia also entered first with Chae Eun-sung, Noh Si-hwan, Joo Hyun-sang, and Han Seung-ju as starters on the 23rd. Ha, whose salary was cut from 100 million won to 70 million won, is more motivated than ever as he prepares for his first free agency.
Lee Do-yoon is also ready to compete with Ha Joo-seok.
He said, “It’s my first time competing for a starting role (in camp), so I’m honored. It’s a hard-earned opportunity, so I want to win the starting role,” he said, adding, “I’m more excited about the competition than burdened by it. You can’t say you’re not confident in competition. I am confident. I want to play more games than last year and show a better performance,” he said.
Meanwhile, on the eve of the team’s departure for spring training, Hanwha completed annual contracts with 45 players for 2024. Home run king Noh Si-hwan received the highest raise (219 million won), jumping from 131 million won to 350 million won. His salary increase is 167.2%. Rookie of the Year Moon Dong-ju also received the highest increase in the team (203.0%), going from 33 million won to 100 million won. Moon Hyun-bin, who became the seventh high school rookie in history to reach 100 hits (114), saw a 166.7% increase from 30 million won to 80 million won.
Joo Hyun-sang (58 million won to 110 million won) and Yoon Dae-kyung (90 million won to 110 million won), who played a key role in the bullpen, also entered their first billion won salaries. Kim Kang-min, the top player in the second round of the draft, 토토사이트 순위 signed for 110 million won, down 50 million won from the 160 million won he received from SSG last year. Playing coach-turned-player Jung Woo-ram signed for 100 million won, down 400 million won from the 500 million won he received as a free agent last year.