Should Lotte trade again…I'd be in big trouble if I didn't have a 149km must-win card, but I desperately need a new partner
Should Lotte trade again…I'd be in big trouble if I didn't have a 149km must-win card, but I desperately need a new partner
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Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung's voice was full of confidence. Lotte made a trade with Doosan after the end of the last season. As Lotte yielded three players including outfielder Choo Jae-hyun and right-handed pitcher Choi Woo-in to Doosan, including Kim Min-seok, a promising player from the first round, it brought right-handed pitcher Jeong Cheol-won and infielder Jeon Min-jae.바카라
So far, he seems to be dominating Lotte's victory. Jeon has consistently produced hits such as becoming Lotte's new shortstop and exploding hits in 17 consecutive games, displaying better-than-expected performance with a batting average of .387, 36 hits, one homer and 10 RBIs. Currently, he is resting due to bleeding inside the right eye in the aftermath of the headshot, but he is expected to be able to return soon as there are no abnormalities in the cornea and retina.
In fact, Jeon Min-jae is also Jeon Min-jae, but without Jung Cheol-won, Lotte's bullpen would have been in big trouble. As manager Kim Tae-hyung expected, Jung pitched in 18 games and pitched 16 innings, recording 2 wins, 1 loss, and 9 holds with an ERA of 6.19. Although he has a high ERA, he is ranking first in the hold category. Currently, it can be said that Lotte is the "victory card" for a close lead in the seventh to eighth innings.
Nonetheless, we cannot rely solely on one player. While the Lotte bullpen has left-handed pitcher Chung Hyeon-su, who ranks first in most games played, Chung cannot afford to play the same role as Chung as most other players as he does since most of them focus on dealing with left-handed hitters.
Several players, including Koo Seung-min, Kim Sang-soo, and Choi Jun-yong, previously played the role of setup man at Lotte. However, Koo Seung-min showed below-expected pitching in his first appearance in the opening game and had to be notified of his return to the second division and has just returned to the first division. He still has one hold and an ERA of 15.43. Kim Sang-soo, who joined Lotte ahead of the 2023 season and created a "release player myth," is also struggling this season with an ERA of 7.79 with two saves and two holds in 17 ⅓ innings in 20 games. Choi, who failed to enter the opening entry due to an injury to his right elbow, is only now getting back to the ground.
The stark reality of Lotte's bullpen is also revealed in the game. Lotte won the game 4-3 against Sajik NC on the 2nd, but had to play a tough game, with as many as six pitchers in the bullpen.
Lotte faced defense in the top of the seventh inning with a 2-0 lead. When starting pitcher Na Kyun-an was not allowed a run until the sixth inning, the Lotte bench also took the mound in the seventh inning. As Lotte clearly knows the situation of the bullpen, it tried to drag Na Kyun-an, who was blocked by 81 pitches through six innings, as long as possible. However, Na was shaken when he gave up one hit and one walk in the seventh inning, and the Lotte Giants had no choice but to call Jeong Cheol-won in the event of a crisis with one out and runners on the first and second bases.
Jeong pitched with all his might by banking on his fastball, which reached a maximum speed of 149 kilometers. Jeong, who handled catcher Kim Hyung-joon who had one shot, with a fly ball to the center field, escaped the crisis by inducing veteran batter Park Gun-woo, who came out as a pinch hitter, to ground out to the pitcher.
However, would it have been too much to stop him until the eighth inning? Jeong gave up a walk to leadoff hitter Han Seok-hyun at the top of the eighth inning, but was hit by a double to the left field by Kwon Hee-dong, putting him on the verge of being on the second and third bases with no outs, and Lotte attempted to dispel the crisis by putting Chung on the mound. Chung treated Kim Joo-won with a ground ball to the second baseman, but he could not stop Han from scoring a run, and allowed a walk to left-handed hitter Park Min-woo, failing to display stable pitching. Was it also burdensome for him to take the mound at a time when there were basemen.
Lotte had no choice. The team was in crisis with runners on the first and third bases with one out in the top of the eighth inning. Lotte eventually displayed a winning move by sending out its closing pitcher Kim Won-joong. NC increased the probability of scoring a point by sending out Son A-seop to four pitches on purpose, but Lotte allowed Kim Won-joong to throw a walk to Seo Ho-cheol and Kim Hyung-joon committed a wild pitch at bat, ultimately leading to a 2-3 come-from-behind victory.
His worries continued. Lotte's Na Seung-yeop made a timely double to right in the bottom of the eighth inning to come from behind to win 4-3, but the question was who should leave the game to in the ninth inning. Left-handed pitcher Song Jae-young handled leadoff hitter Han Seok-hyun with a flyout to first base, and Lotte, which garnered its first out count, managed to keep its lead by one point only after calling on Koo Seung-min and Kim Sang-soo.
If Lotte had at least one more setup man card that could be paired with Chung, it would not have had to face such a tough race. Lotte has been ranking third overall this year with 20 wins, 14 losses, and 1 draw (win rate of .588), creating a sensation with better-than-expected report cards. However, it is questionable how close the bullpen pitcher lineup will be able to withstand going forward.
It would be nice to try to trade as if we brought in Jeong Cheol-won last winter, but the situation is different now that the season is in full swing. It is very unlikely that any club will use usable bullpen resources as a trade card during a season when the ranking fight is fierce, and even if it is on the trade market, it will be classified as "gold price," which could be a huge burden for recruitment. What solution does Lotte have to manage the bullpen pitcher lineup.