Han Hyun-hee was once one of the representative pitchers in the league and also a pitcher for the national team. When he was a member of the Nexen Heroes (currently Kiwoom Heroes), he recorded 27 holds in 2013 and 31 holds in 2014, standing tall as the best middle pitcher since childhood. He garnered double-digit wins in 2015 and 2018, showing his skills in both the starting pitcher and the bullpen. However, he couldn’t go further, and suffered ups and downs for a while, and became a free agent ahead of the 2023 season, but struggled quite a bit in the market.
At that time, Lotte reached out to Han Hyun-hee. It was time for Lotte to aggressively reinforce its free agents with “Winnow” in mind. It signed a four-year contract worth 8 billion won with Yoo Kang-nam to resolve the catcher’s issue, and signed a four-year contract worth 5 billion won with Roh to fill the shortstop position, which was also a problem. While waiting and seeing the market, Lotte decided to open its wallet once more when Han faced difficulties in signing the contract. It also needed to strengthen its mound players’ lineup. Lotte believed that Han, who can be widely used, could contribute to the team in any way.
Thus, Han signed a three-plus-one-year contract worth 4 billion won. Given that the portion of incentives is high, however, it was up to Han to decide how much she would ultimately receive. The portion of down payment (300 million won) was also low, and out of the remaining 3.7 billion won, the portion of the guaranteed amount was 1.5 billion won, which was also low. This means that the incentives totaled 2.2 billion won. If Han does well, it would be quite a big contract, but if not, it could have fallen to the level of a B-class FA contract.
Lotte is sighing and Han Hyun-hee is sighing, as he is now running towards the halfway point of his first three years. For Lotte, it is good for the team that Han Hyun-hee takes all the incentives. This means that the team has contributed to the team’s strength and provided the driving force for the team to run. However, this is not the case at the moment.
In 38 games last year, Han pitched 104 innings, moving between starting pitcher and bullpen session, but ended up with 6 wins, 12 losses, and three holds with a 5.45 ERA. Although the specific criteria for incentives have not been disclosed, a significant portion of the incentives are expected to have fallen short. Han also has the right to opt out in 2026 if he achieves the individual performance set by his club during the first three seasons (2023-2025), but for now, it remains to be seen whether he can reach that standard. Obviously, his first start was not very good.
She struggled hard this year, but failed to make the opening entry in the end. This shows Han’s status in the team. The general manager who led the contract has also changed, and Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung is thoroughly examining the performance and performance of the team, excluding the value of his name. Gone are the days when a single entry spot was guaranteed unconditionally. For Han, it is time for something to rebound.
Coach Kim Tae-hyung also does not rule out Han Hyun-hee all the time. Perhaps he is waiting for a rebound more than anyone else. The team’s mound power cannot be considered to be full of constant power. Young players have many variables apart from their current performance. Han Hyun-hee should definitely occupy a place, whether it is a starter or a bullpen, and become the center of the mound. He has such experience, and he is at an age where he should be. This is also what Lotte expected when it recruited FA.
“I was agonizing over the entry,” coach Kim said of Han Hyun-hee. “I was excluded because the left (left-handed batter) of Han Hyun-hee did not show better performance than the players in the current entry,” he added. “I’m sorry for myself that I prepared a lot, but when I get an opportunity, I have to take that opportunity. I will prepare better myself,” he said. Attention is also focusing on when the opportunity will be given again.
BY: 안전 토토사이트