grapplegraphics.com In order for LG to win the Korean Series for the first time in 29 years, Choi Won-tae, who was acquired through a trade, must rebound. If the slump continues even after returning after taking time to recharge, the aftereffects will increase.
On July 29, LG acquired promising hitter Lee Joo-hyung, who completed his military service, and rookie pitcher Kim Dong-gyu, as well as pitcher Choi Won-tae through a trade, giving up a first-round pick in the 2024 rookie draft to Kiwoom.
At the time, in order to solve the problem of the weak domestic starting lineup, they agreed to a 3:1 trade by giving up a first round pick. Expectations were high for having solved the final puzzle to win.
Choi Won-tae appeared in his first game wearing an LG uniform against Doosan on July 30, and won the game with a perfect pitch of 6 innings, 2 hits, 5 strikeouts, and no runs. It was a ceremony that lived up to expectations as a winning contractor.
In the second game, on August 5th, he lost against Samsung by allowing 6 runs in 5 innings, and on August 12, he recorded a win against his home team Kiwoom by allowing 2 runs in 5 innings. In the match against SSG on August 18, he gave up 4 runs in 7 innings and retired without a win or loss.
먹튀검증However, as he played, his ups and downs became more and more severe, and his pitching became worse. In the game against NC on August 25th, he left his worst record with 15 hits and 11 runs (9 earned runs) in 4 innings. He was replaced after allowing 2 runs in 3 innings due to a rain stoppage in the game against KT on the 5th. In the game against KIA on the 10th, he collapsed with 8 hits, 5 walks, 3 strikeouts, and 7 runs in 2⅔ innings. It was the smallest number of innings since moving to LG.
In the end, Choi Won-tae was excluded from the first team entry on the 11th. Coach Yeom Kyung-yeop cited fatigue as the reason for Choi Won-tae’s recent sluggish performance.
Coach Yeom recently said, “Choi Won-tae pitches a lot of innings. He threw a lot in the first half. “He has already surpassed last year’s innings,” he said. Choi Won-tae last year played 105⅔ innings. He pitched 24 games and 135 innings this season. He pitched 102⅓ innings in 17 games for Kiwoom.
They viewed the large number of pitched innings as a reason for their poor performance and decided to give them time to rest and recharge. It would be fortunate if he could return after a 10-day or longer break and regain the same level of performance as in the first half of the year.
Before being traded, Choi Won-tae had 6 wins, 4 losses, and an average ERA of 3.25. He ranked 10th in earned run average and fourth among native pitchers, after Ahn Woo-jin, Ko Young-pyo, and Won Tae-in. However, Choi Won-tae has performed poorly with 2 wins, 2 losses, and an ERA of 8.27 in 7 games (32⅔ innings) since the trade.
Ahead of the opening of 2021, LG made a 2-2 trade with Doosan, swapping Ham Deok-ju, Chae Ji-seon, Yang Seok-hwan, and Nam-ho. Ham Deok-ju has not been able to play properly for two years due to elbow and minor injuries, but this year he is playing an active role as a bullpen winner.
During the 2021 season All-Star break, LG made a 1-to-1 trade between Kiwoom and Seo Geon-chang and Jeong Chan-heon. Since his transfer to LG, Seo Geon-chang has been struggling for three consecutive seasons until this year.
Going all-in on winning this season, they gave up three prospects and traded Choi Won-tae. Among the prospects who were let go, Lee Joo-hyung is hitting .300 with a .300 hit as soon as he gets the chance to start. Choi Won-tae must rebound.
