Lotte, which was desperate for a must-win group, and Doosan, which was desperate for a change of generation of fielders, gave away what they cared for each other.
Doosan Bears and Lotte Giants made a large 3-2 trade to change the Rookie of the Year Jung Chul-won (25) and 1R prospect Kim Min-seok (20).안전놀이터
Doosan Bears (CEO Ko Young-seop) said on the 22nd, "We gave up pitcher Jung Chul-won (25) and infielder Jeon Min-jae (25) to the Lotte Giants and made a 2-3 trade to acquire outfielders Kim Min-seok (20), Choo Jae-hyun (25), and pitcher Choi Woo-in (22).
Lotte Giants also announced on the same day, "We conducted a 2-3 trade between pitcher Jung Chul-won, infielder Jeon Min-jae and pitcher Choi Woo-in, outfielder Kim Min-seok and Choo Jae-hyun."
The news is shocking in many ways. It is all the more surprising news, given that the key players in the bilateral trade are resources that each club has nurtured with deep affection.
It is a large trade centered on Jung Cheol-won, who won the 2022 Rookie of the Year award, and Kim Min-seok, a rookie in the first round of Lotte's 2023 Rookie Draft. Above all, this was based on the interests of the two sides.
Lotte wanted to trade first. "It is understood that Lotte, which needed bullpen resources, showed interest in recruiting Jeong Cheol-won first, and the volume of trade has grown since then," said a person familiar with Lotte's situation.
In fact, Jung Cheol-won is a resource that played an active part in Doosan's must-win group just one season ago. He recorded 23 holds in 2022 and played 161 games in the first division, including the KBO Rookie of the Year award, with 13 wins and 10 losses, 22 saves, 35 holds, and an ERA of 4.05.
He was disappointed with a 6.40 ERA with 2 wins, 1 loss, 6 saves and 1 hold in 36 games this season, but he played 125 games in the two seasons of 2022 and 2023, before that, and played as Doosan's must-win team.
For Lotte, whose team's relief ERA fell to ninth place in the 2024 season, Jung Chul-won, who experienced both setup man and closer positions until the latest, was an attractive resource. In particular, Lotte needs a gradual generational change in the bullpen, although both closer Kim Won-joong and setup man Koo Seung-min, who were internal FA, remained.
If Jung Chul-won, an authentic right-hander fastball resource, finds his form in 2022 and 2023, Lotte's bullpen can be further strengthened.
Jeon Min-jae, a right-handed pitcher and infielder who was designated as the 40th player in the fourth round of the Doosan Bears' second round in 2018, played in 100 games this season and accumulated opportunities step by step. He played 177 games in the first division with a batting average of 0.255, 82 hits, 37 RBIs and 51 points. Although he has yet to display explosive skills, Lotte has launched infielders Lee Hak-joo and Oh Sun-jin, and is clearly starting a replacement of infielders. Jeon Min-jae is expected to be able to contribute to the positive competition with his new "catfish" in the infield. Another attractive factor was that Jeon Min-jae is a volunteer who completed military service after completing his military service benefits.
Lotte also revealed the background of the trade, saying, "We expect Jung Cheol-won to play a role as a bullpen immediately in the first division, and Jeon Min-jae to show good competitiveness in the infield defense sector."
Doosan's decision is also quite shocking. Doosan has brought in Kim Min-seok, a big fielding prospect that Lotte has been raising so far. Right-handed and left-handed outfielder Kim Min-seok graduated from Whimoon High School and joined Lotte in the first round of the 2023 Rookie Draft.
He had a batting average of 0.255 (102 hits in 400 at-bats), three homers, 39 RBIs and 53 runs scored in 129 games last year, his debut season. He had 100 hits in his debut season as a high school graduate in the KBO league. However, he only had a batting average of 0.211 (16 hits in 76 at-bats), six RBIs and 14 runs scored in 41 games in the 2024 season. Kim had a batting average of 0.277/21 and 11 RBIs in 35 games in the Futures League this season.
First of all, from Lotte's point of view, Kim Min-seok's position has become ambiguous at a time when the main structure of the outfield has already been established, with many field prospects, including Yoon Dong-hee, growing step by step. He was a big prospect who was so loved by Lotte fans that he was nicknamed "Sajik Idol," but he suffered a big defeat in strengthening the bullpen.
On the contrary, Doosan seems to have pushed for a replacement of generations both inside and outside the Doosan Bears. "Kim Min-seok has sophisticated contact skills, while Choo Jae-hyun has outstanding vision. Two players with their own distinct strengths will greatly contribute to the outfield depth," a Doosan Bears official said. "Choi Woo-in is a promising military pitcher with a maximum speed of 154 kilometers. We recruited him based on his potential."
Another additional young left-handed outfielder, Choo Jae-hyun, joined the Nexen Heroes (currently the Kiwoom Heroes) in the second and third rounds of the 2018 draft (28th overall), and wore a Lotte jersey in a trade in 2020. Choo's overall performance in the first division is .238 (82 for 345), five homers, and 31 RBIs in 144 games. His overall performance in the Futures League is .304 (413 for 1,358) in 403 games, 30 homers, and 209 RBIs.
Choo Jae-hyun also failed to establish himself in Lotte's first team, but he has been attracting attention for his future performance at the Futures League level.
As a result, Doosan seems to be all-in for a generational change of fielders. As Kim Jae-ho, who served as Doosan infielder for a long time after the end of this season, retired, and Heo Kyung-min transferred to KT Wiz through a free agent transfer, young blood transfusions both inside and outside the stadium are essential. As Kim Min-seok was an infielder until high school, he could change his position from a pro to an outfielder once again.
If not, Kim Min-seok is expected to be the main player of a new era and foster him in the long run as the fielders have been slow due to the delayed generational change throughout this season. In terms of batting ability, Doosan can be a land of new opportunities as Kim Min-seok, who has been constantly drawing attention even after joining the professional team since high school.