The internal negotiations between KIA Tigers and Kim Sun-bin to remain in the FA are showing signs of a prolonged period. There is a clear gap between each other, but it is clear that both sides only look at “Remain in the Tigers.” Noise from the negotiation table process can be enough, but there is no need to expand it.
Kia has set a goal of keeping internal FA players Kim Sun-bin and Ko Jong-wook alive this winter. Kia took a breather on Nov. 21 by signing a two-year contract with Ko Jong-wook for a total of 500 million won (500,000 U.S. dollars), including a down payment of 100 million won, an annual salary of 150 million won, and an option of 100 million won.
Kia had in mind to reinforce its external FA this winter. Among field positions for the 2023 season, the team that has the biggest concern about first baseman. Kia’s total WAR on first base players for the 2023 season was 0.63, ranking seventh in the league. It was a battleground in the fog, with Choi Won-joon (0.69) having the highest WAR in the 2023 season among first basemen. Byun Woo-hyuk, a promising player with high expectations, also had a batting average of 0.225 in 87 games, which made him settle down.
Yang Seok-hwan, a 20-home-run powerhouse, was a strong possibility for Kia to aim for. If Yang joins the team, it will be possible to complete the league’s strongest clean-up trio with Na Sung-bum, Choi Hyung-woo, and Yang Seok-hwan. However, Kia did not take an active stance in recruiting Yang. In the end, Yang chose to stay with his original team Doosan under a contract worth 7.8 billion won (6.37 million U.S. dollars) for a 4+2 year.
Kia has been passive in recruiting FA players from outside because it has set Kim’s remaining as its top priority. Kim played in 119 games in the 2023 season and recorded a batting average of 0.320/134 hits/48 RBIs/on-base percentage of 0.381. Kim, who served as the team’s captain, solidified his position as the starting second baseman, and contributed to the team’s race for the quarterfinals until the end of the season. After the 2023 season, Kim handed over his captaincy to his teammate Na Sung-bum.
After the opening of the FA, KIA team and Kim Sun-bin exchanged opinions several times. However, it is known that the team is still unable to narrow the gap easily. It also suggested the conditions that the team revised recently. However, it was not an atmosphere that could lead to a consultation. Moreover, although there are rumors that intense emotions were expressed at the negotiation table, the two sides are still united in their efforts to remain with the Tigers and are doing their best in negotiations.
“Talking about different positions is a natural picture during the negotiation process. What’s important is that the KIA team and Kim Sun-bin are still discussing whether to stay in the team, not the collapse of negotiations. Kim Sun-bin also handed over the year during the FA negotiations four years ago. As he has deep affection for the Tigers, he seems to do his best to produce positive results even if it takes some time,” a baseball source said.토토사이트
KIA team also wants to do its best to keep Kim Sun-bin alive. Rather than interpreting the situation as an escalation due to strong emotional battles between the two sides, the team needs to pay attention to the situation, which could be a painstaking effort for the Tigers to stay. “We are continuing the process of reaching a consensus with Kim Sun-bin. We will do our best to negotiate as long as we can at a time when it is essential for our team,” a Kia source said.