The negotiations between Lotte Giants, a pro-baseball player who was dragging, and Lee Dae-ho (39), a free agent (FA), were settled under the direction of the Lotte Group.
Lotte announced on the 29th that it had agreed with Lee Dae-ho to a maximum of 2.6 billion won in two years, including 200 million won for the winning option.
After taking office as general manager Seong Min-gyu in September 2019, Lotte has focused on fostering prospects rather than catching expensive free agents.
Son Seung-rak, Go Hyo-jun, and Jeon Jun-woo, who obtained free agency qualifications after the 2019 season, were faced with a real frost.
Son Seung-rak, who could not find a point of contact, declared retirement, and Ko Hyo-jun, who had even been referred to as’FA Lost’, was only stamped in March of the following year.
When Jeon Joon-woo suffered a difficult contract, he broke up with the agent and negotiated with the club himself, and signed up to 3.4 billion won in four years, lower than expected.
It was predicted that Lotte’s austerity stance to become a’low cost and high efficiency’ club will be applied to Lee Dae-ho as well.
In fact, Lotte did not rush to negotiate with Lee Dae-ho, as if anticipating a long war.
In an interview, Lee Dae-ho complained that the club did not show sincerity.
The group suddenly intervened in the tight tug-of-war between Lotte and Lee Dae-ho that continued for such a long time.
With the group’s full support, the negotiations were solved quickly. As if he was satisfied with the contract, Lee Dae-ho promised to donate the winning option in full to the underprivileged neighbors.
It was a group that had been on the lookout when the Lotte club recently loaned 5 billion won from the financial sector due to financial difficulties.
In addition, even when Lee Dae-ho’s free agency negotiations passed the year and continued sluggishly until the point where the spring camp was in front, the group that did not budge suddenly began shooting for support.
As a franchise star, Lee Dae-ho has a great symbolism, so it can be said that he has joined the group directly, but looking at the big picture, it is interpreted that another variable has influenced it.
This is the news of Shinsegae Group’s acquisition of SK Wyverns, which was heard on the 26th.
At the time, the media focused on the’distribution derby’, saying that Shinsegae and Lotte’s distribution rivalry had expanded to baseball.
It is said that the Lotte Group was not very pleased with the expression of Shinsegae Group, which differed more than 10 times in sales, as a rival.
I am not reluctant to be mentioned as the same level as Shinsegae, but for only a few billion won, I couldn’t wait to see a tumultuous appearance in negotiations with Lee Dae-ho.
In fact, the Lotte club did not hide the fact that the group’s determination and support were behind the contract with Lee Dae-ho.
Lotte officials did not forget to say, “There was strong support at the group level,” and “Chairman Shin Dong-bin (Lotte Group) is very interested in the baseball team.”
It is interpreted that the Lotte Group wants to take off negative images such as’stingy’ and’sadness’ through a big contract with Lee Dae-ho.
There seems to be few aspects that the emergence of the distribution rival Shinsegae was a stimulus.
Shinsegae officially announced that it will not spare any investment, such as promoting the establishment of a dome stadium in the long term.
It seems that it will actively work on reinforcing power. He said he would also use a marketing strategy that incorporates baseball.
For the Lotte Group, which is based on the same distribution industry, there have been a few people who are concerned.
Would Lotte, stimulated by this, be able to keep pace with this and open a wallet together? Looking at the case of Lee Dae-ho, it seems unlikely.
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