Yang Hyun-jong “10 more days”… KIA “Respecting the will of Ace”

Pitcher Hyeon-jong Yang, who did not give up his dream of advancing to the MLB, put on hold negotiations with the KIA. Yang Hyeon-jong asked the club to wait until the 30th. [연합뉴스]

Can national team Ace achieve his long dream dramatically? The answer comes out within ten days. Yang Hyeon-jong (33), the best left-handed pitcher in professional baseball, has decided to continue the MLB challenge until the end of this month. The remaining contract with the KIA Tigers team was temporarily suspended.

On the 20th, Hyunjong Yang said to KIA Director Gye-Hyun Jo on the 20th, “There is still a regret to close the dream of entering MLB. After listening to the story of the US club for ten more days, I will decide to move up until the 30th.” General Manager Jo said, “Yang Hyun-jong is very willing to stand on the MLB mound. As a pitcher, I also understand the dream of a player. I decided to wait 10 more days to respect the intention of our team Ace.”

Yang Hyun-jong is the best domestic pitcher in the KBO League where Ryu Hyun-jin (Toronto Blue Jays) and Kim Gwang-hyun (St. Louis Cardinals) left. Above all, he is KIA’s’Living Legend’. With 147 wins in his personal career, the club (including the full body Haitai Tigers) is the second most winning team. By adding 11 wins last year, it surpassed former national coach Seon Dong-yeol (146 wins). KT Wiz coach Lee Kang-cheol’s most wins (150 wins) in the club are also close.

Hyeonjong Yang’s current goal is only’MLB’. Earlier after the 2019 season was over, he made it clear that he would play for KIA for another year and challenge MLB. After last season, he became his second free agent (FA), and immediately knocked on the door of the big leagues.

The global bad news called Corona 19 had another negative impact. The overall US FA market has contracted. Free agent Yang Hyun-jong, unlike the player who posted it, does not have a set deadline for negotiation. If it had been another year, it would have been more free and more favorable, but this Stove League was different. ‘External free agent recruitment’ was pushed back from the decision-making rankings of many clubs. Yang Hyun-jong’s MLB challenge also repeated its steps.

It was not easy to agree on detailed terms. In the beginning, Yang Hyun-jong appeared in the free agency market with’the right to veto relegation in the minor league’ and’a team that can play as a starter’ as essential conditions. The US club, which showed interest in him, proposed a’split contract’ (a contract that differentiates between the MLB salary and the minor league salary) because of his age in his mid-30s and his performance last year.

The trip to the United States itself was a difficult condition for Yang Hyun-jong, an adventurer. After worrying, he stepped back, saying, “I will not ask for the minor league veto anymore.” Still, the situation did not change much. Hyeonjong Yang, desperate for the realization of his dream, now considers ’40-person roaster guarantee’ as the marginal line of the contract.

The domestic club’s spring camp begins on the 1st of next month. KIA, waiting for the decision of Hyunjong Yang, prepared a negotiation table for the first time on the 14th with the possibility of remaining in mind. At this meeting, Yang Hyun-jong said, “I will wait for the MLB club proposal until the 20th.” On the 19th, one day before the promised deadline, KIA met with Yang Hyun-jong again to negotiate a marathon that lasted 6 hours and 30 minutes. At this meeting, details were almost agreed, including the four-year contract period.

As long as Hyunjong Yang made a determination to’remain in Korea’, the conditions were ready to sign a contract at any time. However, when he had to make a decision, he once more difficultly asked for his understanding, asking him to “please give me ten days.” This is because this is the last chance for Stove League to open the door to MLB. KIA, who cares for him, decided to follow the will of Ace again. Yang Hyun-jong’s’D-Day’ was delayed 10 days later.

Reporter Bae Youngeun [email protected]