This is the words of a Doosan official who pushed for a contract with the new foreign hitter Henry Ramos (31). Doosan signed a contract with Ramos on Monday for a total of 700,000 dollars. It is subject to a down payment of 50,000 dollars, an annual salary of 550,000 dollars, and an incentive of 100,000 dollars. The guaranteed amount is 600,000 dollars, and the 100,000 dollars can only be earned if Ramos meets the option he promised with his club next year.
Ramos first met with the KBO League last year. His first destination was the KT Wiz. The KT Wiz signed a contract worth 1 million U.S. dollars that it can give to a new player. The guaranteed amount was 750,000 dollars and the incentive was 250,000 dollars. At a time when he is nostalgic for Mel Rojas Jr., a big gun who left for the Japanese professional baseball (NPB) after winning the MVP for the first time in his team’s history in 2020, the KT Wiz said Ramos could quench his thirst as a foreign hitter.
Despite the strictness of KT manager Lee Kang-chul, Ramos was a good player. After comprehensively examining Ramos’ play, personality, and attitude during the spring camp, Lee said, “He has a very good kick and speed. He prepared well. He is in the best physical condition among fielders in the team.”
However, Ramos was unlucky enough to avoid injury. He was hit on the right foot by the dune while playing against the NC Dinos in Suwon on April 23, last year, and his baby toe was fractured according to hospital examination results, which ultimately resulted in his release. KT had no time to wait for recovery time that would take more than a month, and chose Anthony Alford as a substitute for the rest of the season. Ramos returned to the U.S. after recording a batting average of 0.250 (18 hits in 72 times at bat), three homers, 11 RBIs and an OPS of 0.721 in 18 games. 안전놀이터 추천
Ramos challenged the U.S. Major League once again this year. He signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds and played in 23 games during the season. He had a batting average of 0.243 (18 hits in 74 times at bat), an on-base percentage of 0.349, an slugging percentage of 0.311, and five RBIs. He was satisfied with the opportunity in the Major League, but he performed fairly well in Triple-A of the Minor League. He hit well in 76 games, with a batting average of 0.318 (89 hits in 280 times at bat), 13 homers, 55 RBIs and an OPS of 0.954. With such performance, the team deserves another chance to play in a Triple-A team, even if it is difficult for the Major League.
Doosan reached out to Ramos. As foreign hitter market was not so good, it was a waste of time waiting for players who could not join the Major League roster, and Ramos with Korean experience naturally caught the eye. Existing foreign hitter Jose Rojas (30) ranked second in his team with 19 home runs this year, but his outfield defense was below average, so his utilization declined. To make effective use while easing the burden on veteran catcher Yang Eui-ji, Rojas cannot be appointed as a designated hitter. Ramos has strong shoulders and is an outfielder, and boasts above average defense capability. He also came to the conclusion that his switch heater allows powerful swings at both left and right batches, which is better than Rojas.
Rumor has it that Ramos was happy with Doosan’s proposal. It seems that the player’s disgraceful departure from Korea due to injury was a regret to his own extent. A Doosan official said, “I think I had a regretful memory in Korea. I was really grateful for the opportunity to play in Korea again. I am very motivated right now, and I showed that I will work harder when I come to Korea.”
Ramos didn’t mind the club’s strict $100,000 option bet. Doosan usually bets heavily on foreign players who need some proof. A case in point is that when he renewed his contract with foreign hitter Jose Miguel Fernandez for $900,000 ahead of the 2021 season, he bet a half of $450,000 as an option. Although it was the result of Fernandez’s preference for larger options, the club is welcoming foreign players’ preference for options in terms of motivation.
A Doosan official said, “We can’t reveal the details of the options, but we have a very difficult option on the line. Still, Ramos is determined to win enough. I think I was motivated well. Please watch.” It is true that Ramos was highly motivated to succeed in Korea, but he basically trusted his skills, so he was able to make the decision to replace Rojas.
A Doosan official said, “Since we all sign contracts based on young players, we look 31 years old, but I checked Ramos twice this year. When the scouting team checked, it was determined that he is maintaining performance that is close to his prime. In addition, the recent trend is that he deploys a lot of left-handed pitchers against foreign hitters. Ramos said, “As we are switch-heaters that can play at both bat, we believe it is highly valuable. That was also a positive factor,” and added, “We expect Ramos to perform well next year and earn a full 700,000 dollars.”
Meanwhile, Doosan also completed the formation of foreign players by 2024 by signing a contract with Ramos and foreign one-two punch Raul Alcantara and Brandon Waddell. Alcantara signed a total of 1.5 million dollars (down payment of 500,000 dollars, annual salary of 800,000 dollars, incentive of 200,000 dollars), and Brandon signed a total of 1.13 million dollars (down payment of 250,000 dollars, annual salary of 750,000 dollars, incentive of 130,000 dollars).
Alcantara and Brandon showed outstanding performances this year, as their club did not consider other options than renewing their contracts. Alcantara recorded 13 wins and nine losses, 192 innings and an ERA of 2.67 in 31 games. He became the best ace in the KBO League by ranking first in innings, third in strikeouts (162), fourth in multiple wins, and fifth in ERA.
Brandon surpassed his expectations as the second starter in place of Dylan Foyle, who was released due to injury. He led Doosan to the fifth round with 11 wins and three losses, 104 ⅔ innings and a 2.49 ERA in 18 games. That’s why he was able to sign for an increase of 280,000 dollars to 850,000 dollars in this year’s contract.