The only internal free agent. SSG Landers and Kim Min-sik, 34, set the first negotiating table.

Catcher Kim Min-sik is SSG’s only internal free agent this winter. Of the 19 approved free agents announced by the KBO on Nov. 18, Min-sik is the only former SSG player. Another eligible player, Lee Jae-won, has not declared free agency and is looking for a new team after requesting his release from the club.

Kim began his professional career as a college rookie in 2012 when he was drafted by the SK Wyverns. He joined the KIA Tigers via trade and helped them win the 2017 season title before returning to his hometown team via trade. He played 104 games in the first team last year and 122 games this year, serving as the starting catcher.

Kim is eligible to become a free agent for the first time in his career after this season, a lucrative deal that allows him to move to a team in Class C without a compensatory player and only pay 150 percent of his previous year’s salary (140 million won).

Kim Min-sik’s agent recently held the first round of negotiations with SSG.

The meeting took place after SSG completed an urgent task of hiring a new head coach, Lee Sung-yong. Of course, internally, they had set a basic policy regarding free agent contracts.

As it was the first meeting, there were no tug-of-war negotiations.

It was just a casual exchange of ideas in a relaxed atmosphere. At this meeting, we talked about the basic size of the contract that SSG believes in, and based on this, we need to have more discussions in the future. The two sides are expected to have a second meeting soon.

Both the club and Kim Min-sik basically want him to stay. Provided, of course, that the conditions are right. “We need Kim Min-sik as well,” said an SSG representative.

SSG is currently without a veteran catcher after Lee Jae-won left the team. Aside from Kim, the only other player who has been a regular member of the first team this season is third-year player Cho Hyung-woo.

The team recently acquired two catchers in the second round of the draft, Park Dae-on (ex-NC) and Shin Beom-soo (ex-KIA), 먹튀검증토토사이트 but there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to fill in immediately. We really need a veteran catcher, Kim Min-sik, who has a lot of experience and has been working with SSG pitchers for a long time.

However, negotiations could change depending on market conditions. As of now, there is no sign of other teams looking to add a catcher.

However, since Kim Min-sik and Lee Ji-young are the only catchers currently in free agency, it’s not impossible that the game could change after the big guns sign.

Kim Min-sik will remain the SSG An Bang-manim next year, and his departure could mean a lot of changes.