Veteran right-handed pitcher Kim Jae-yoon (33), who was classified as a big catch in the KBO free agent market this winter, will wear the Samsung Lions uniform.
Samsung announced on the 22nd that it had signed a four-year contract worth up to 5.8 billion won with Kim Jae-yoon. The conditions are a down payment of 2 billion won, a total annual salary of 2.8 billion won, and an incentive of 1 billion won.
Samsung worked hard to find a successor to ‘ultimate leader’ Oh Seung-hwan. However, young bullpen pitchers such as left-hander Lee Seung-hyun, right-hander Lee Seung-hyun, Choi Chung-yeon, and Choi Ji-gwang did not grow as expected, and Oh Seung-hwan continued to take the back seat.
This season, with Seung-Hwan Oh faltering, left-hander Seung-Hyun Lee was given the opportunity to pitch as a closer, but he failed to catch it. Oh Seung-hwan, who temporarily lost his position as the closing pitcher at the beginning of the season, took charge of the back door again from the middle of the season.
When the back door issue was not resolved, Samsung eventually chose external blood transfusion. General Manager Lee Jong-yeol, who was newly appointed after the 2023 season, expressed his intention to strengthen the bullpen in the free agent market and captured Kim Jae-yoon.
Kim Jae-yoon, who joined KT Wiz in 2015 and played for only one team, is changing teams for the first time.
Kim Jae-yoon, who played as the starting catcher at Whimoon High School, was not nominated by a professional team, so he signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks of the Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2009 and left for the United States.
Kim Jae-yoon, who did not receive many opportunities on the American stage, returned to Korea and completed his military service as an active-duty soldier, then attempted the professional stage again, and was selected by the KT Wiz in the 2015 rookie draft.
Kim Jae-yoon, who turned into a pitcher after joining KT, has established himself as a closing pitcher since 2016, and has reaped more than 30 saves for three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023, becoming a top closing pitcher in the league. In 2022 and 2023, he ranked second in saves for the second consecutive year.
In 2021, he played an active role with 4 wins, 3 losses, 32 saves, and an ERA of 2.42, adding strength to KT's overall championship, and this year, he also achieved a record of 5 wins, 5 losses, 32 saves, and an ERA of 2.60.
His career records over nine seasons are 481 games, 44 wins, 33 losses, 169 saves, 17 holds, and an ERA of 3.58.
General Manager Lee said, “We recruited Kim Jae-yoon, whom we thought was the best resource among free agent pitchers. He explained the background to his recruitment, saying, “I would like to attach great significance to the fact that we strengthened the bullpen, which was the weakest part of the team this season.”
He went on to say, “Anxiety about tailgating will disappear, and ultimately, it will lead to positive results in improved team performance.”
Kim Jae-yoon said, “The prestigious team Samsung made a good offer, and I felt sincere that they needed me.” He added, “When I debuted in the KBO League in 2015, Samsung was the best team that could not be approached. “I want to do my best to build a dynasty once again,” he expressed his determination.
He also said, “I always saw the passionate support of Samsung fans. I am excited and looking forward to the thought that I will be the target of support. “We ask for your support,” he added. 슬롯