Samsung’s “final boss” Oh Seung-hwan (41) welcomed the recruitment of Kim Jae-yoon as a free agent. He is a junior and a “rook-dol” who could threaten his position. However, he seemed confident. He viewed it bigger than expected. At the same time, Samsung and its manager Park Jin-man also eased burdens.
“Kim Jae-yoon, a good closing pitcher, is here. Insisting on a job is a stupid idea. There’s no reason to do that,” Oh said flatly at the Sports Seoul Awards ceremony on Sept. 30.
He is an undisputed closer of the Samsung Lions. His 400 saves in the KBO League provide an excellent example. In the 2023 season, he posted 62.2 innings in 58 games, four wins, five losses, two holds, 30 saves, and an ERA of 3.45. He ranks third in saves in the league and has recorded 30 saves in three consecutive seasons.
It is true that he had ups and downs. Instead, he has 32 innings in 32 games, two wins, two losses and 20 saves, and an earned run average of 2.20. Oh ranks first in saves in the second half.
Oh Seung-hwan is here, but Samsung’s bullpen as a whole was disappointing. He is the lowest in the league with a 5.16 ERA. Thus, he started to strengthen his bullpen in the offseason. The result is recruiting Kim Jae-yoon.
He is considered the best finishing pitcher in the league along with Ko Woo-suk. He invested a huge amount of KRW 5.8 billion in four years. It is a recruitment that shows Samsung’s will.
It is certainly a resource that will be helpful. On the other hand, some say, “Who will finish the game?” It is because it is the best meeting with the best. It is a “double stopper,” but it is better to fix it as one anyway. 스포츠토토
It could hurt the feelings of either side. Oh left an intense comment. “I have no stubbornness to finish,” he said. “I will do my best to improve my team’s win no matter what kind of role it plays. As the coach will decide, it is important for the team to win a lot no matter how many times it goes on or when it goes on.”
“Kim Jae-yoon contacted me personally when he was in the U.S. He is a very good player. The team will be strong. I will create an atmosphere to help each other while talking. That is my role. My goal is to be helpful to the team,” he stressed.
Of course, I have no intention of resigning. “I will put it down. I need to pay more attention to team records than to individual records. I am trying to do it comfortably. I am still in good physical condition. I still have greed at the back of my mind. I want to get good results and have a season where my team can win the championship. I want to have a season where I can eliminate the topic of age,” Oh said.
It is also burdensome to change the closing pitcher from Oh Seung-hwan to Kim Jae-yoon just because Kim Jae-yoon is here. He has made 522 saves in total among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan. Oh has the symbolism of him. He also showed off his robustness. The decision to transfer to the bullpen is not easy.
Kim Jae-yoon is also a special closing pitcher. This year, he pitched 65.2 innings in 59 games, five wins, five losses and 32 saves, and posted an ERA of 2.60. He is a total of 169 saves. He finished the game for a long time, and suddenly he was moving to the middle of the game, which is no joy.
Ultimately, competition is expected to be needed. And the final decision should be made by coach Park Jin-man. It is not easy. Against this backdrop, Oh Seung-hwan shouted “Team First.” He said, “Team First.” He said, “Team victory.” It should be said that concerns have not even started yet, but Park Jin-man’s remarks could ease some of the burden.