The Doosan Bears and free-agent pitcher Hong Geon-hee are headed to the negotiating table for a year-end showdown, with the salary cap reportedly the biggest obstacle to a deal.
Doosan hopes to acquire both infielder Yang Seok-hwan and pitcher Hong Gun-hee in the free agent market this winter.
Doosan first made an aggressive move to retain Yang Seok-hwan. On Nov. 30, Doosan officially announced the signing of Yang to a 4+2-year free agent contract worth up to 7.8 billion won.
The total value of the first four-year contract is up to KRW 6.5 billion (KRW 2 billion down payment, KRW 3.9 billion in total salary, and KRW 600 million in incentives). After the four-year contract, the deal includes a two-year, 1.3 billion won mutual option that can be triggered by agreement between the club and the player 아톰카지노 주소.
A Doosan representative said, “Yang Seok-hwan is an essential player for our batting lineup, having hit 20 home runs for three consecutive years while calling Jamsil Stadium home,” adding, “We are looking forward to his role as a dugout leader as well as on the field.”
With Yang Seok-hwan in the fold, Doosan will now turn its attention to Hong Gun-hee at the negotiating table. In 2023, Hong appeared in 64 games (61.2 innings) with a 1-5 record, 22 saves, five holds, a 3.06 ERA, 62 strikeouts, and a 1.48 WHIP. Despite his late-season dip, Hong proved his durability as a bullpen arm by completing 60 innings per season for four straight seasons, starting in 2020 when he joined the Doosan organization.
Doosan first sat down with Hong on Nov. 30 to conduct exploratory talks. However, no specific terms were offered by the club.
On December 4, a Doosan representative said, “We didn’t talk about a specific contract during the first meeting. We have not yet presented the club’s proposal to Hong Gun-hee. We want to continue the conversation with Hong while looking at the atmosphere of the free agent market. We have not yet scheduled the next meeting.”
Doosan already has a number of high-profile long-term free agent signings, including Yang Seok-hwan. The team has reportedly been red-lighted for exceeding the salary cap limit. The club has no intention of breaking the salary cap even once.
A Doosan official said, “We have no intention of breaking the salary cap even once. We took that into consideration when we were preparing to sign Yang Suk-hwan and Hong Gun-hee. Of course, considering the salary cap, the remaining negotiations will not be easy. I think we’ll take the long view and negotiate over time.”
If the atmosphere at the negotiating table with Hong Gun-hee is any indication, it won’t be easy for Doosan to sign outside free agents. After all, the salary cap is holding Doosan back. Not only will negotiations with Hong and internal free agents be a challenge, but also the general salary cap. It will be interesting to see if Doosan can solve the problem while minimizing salary cap risk this winter.