He has matured while maintaining focus. The protagonist of the "mega trade," Jeong Cheol-won (26), is determined to revive and prove himself.

Last November, Jeong Cheol-won, who joined the Lotte uniform through a 2-for-3 mega trade with Doosan, was brought in because Lotte believed in his potential for revival, especially after sending outfielder Kim Min-seok, a first-round prospect in the 2023 draft. It was expected that the success or failure of Lotte's trade would hinge on Jeong Cheol-won's performance as the core card of the trade.

Jeong Cheol-won is a player who has already reached a peak. He joined Doosan's uniform in the second round of the second pick in the 2018 rookie draft and made his full debut in the first team after completing military service. In 2022, he played 58 games in the first team, with a record of 4 wins, 3 losses, 3 saves, and 23 holds in 72⅔ innings, achieving an earned run average of 3.10 and claiming the Rookie of the Year title.

In the following year, 2023, he performed as an all-around bullpen pitcher with a record of 7 wins, 6 losses, 13 saves, and 11 holds in 72⅔ innings over 67 games, with an earned run average of 3.96. He became a key member of the winning formation, having logged over 70 innings for two consecutive years. However, in 2024, Jeong Cheol-won struggled with growing pains, posting 2 wins, 1 loss, 6 saves, and 1 hold in 32⅓ innings over 36 games, with an earned run average of 6.40. After switching to Lotte, he prepared for a revival and renewed his focus to replicate his Rookie of the Year season. The expected reunion with manager Kim Tae-hyung, who was at the helm at that time, was also a factor to look forward to. Early in the season, Jeong Cheol-won secured his position as a key member of the winning formation. With veterans like Koo Seung-min and Kim Sang-soo still getting back to form, Manager Kim Tae-hyung was utilizing Jeong Cheol-won in critical situations. Manager Kim explained, "I use Jeong Cheol-won first in the most important moments."

Currently, he has appeared in 4 games, pitching 3⅔ innings with 2 holds and an earned run average of 2.45. He has recorded 5 strikeouts and only 1 walk. On the 29th against KT, he achieved a three-game appearance, showcasing his fighting spirit. Facing a no-out, 1st and 2nd base crisis with hits and walks, he managed to escape without conceding a run, leading the team to break a three-game losing streak.

He is trying to recall the memories of the 2022 season when he stood on the mound without hesitation, and so far, it has been successful. He said, "When I debuted in 2022, I wanted to regain the feeling of confidently throwing fastballs without knowing anything. Since the camp, I have been thinking about how to improve fastball quality rather than focusing on breaking balls and how to revive my mechanism. I think I have resurrected the feeling of 2022." He added, "I worked hard to return to the time when I was just throwing the ball without knowing anything and was showcasing who I am to the manager. I didn’t want to repeat the mistakes of last year, when I had many thoughts and couldn't find my pace. I had a plan to prepare slowly this year since I had thrown many innings last year and the year before. However, I felt that my body was slow to recover and experienced it firsthand. So, I thought I should prepare a bit faster this year. I wanted to return to my original self. I wanted to impress the manager and coaches, so I threw harder and prepared quickly, which seems to be working now."

On the 30th against KT, Jeong Cheol-won was on a rest day after his three-game appearance. However, he was prepared to pitch at any time. Jeong Cheol-won noted, "Bullpen pitchers must be grateful for the opportunity to throw and feel that they can do so. I plan to keep my spikes close and be ready because I don’t know how the situation may unfold." Ultimately, Jeong Cheol-won did rest, and the team recorded a 4-4 tie after 11 innings.

Jeong Cheol-won has no fear about the potential surgery that bullpen pitchers may eventually have to undergo. He said, "I’m not in pain yet, but I think about the possibility of needing surgery someday. However, I have to work hard on my conditioning training and weights or running, so I can always be helpful to the team and delay the timing for surgery as much as possible." The successes of the 2022-2023 season and the bitter experience of failure in 2024 have become valuable assets. All that remains is to show and prove himself. He emphasized, "I have no burden about throwing many innings. I need no more experience; there’s only showing left to do. I’ve already experienced why I struggled. Now, I only need to think about how to achieve good results with Lotte."

In August 2024, Jeong Cheol-won became a father when his son was born. His wife also organized her life in Seoul and came down to be with him. All he wants is to be a proud dad. He said, "It’s my wife who has it tough with childcare, more than me. When I come to the baseball field, I have teammates and juniors to talk to. But my wife moved down to Busan because of me and has no friends, only watching the baby. That must be very hard. I do help with childcare at home, but I want to work as hard as possible in baseball to show that I am a proud father. I also want to earn a lot of money." He emphasized that he would carry the weight of being a head of the family while getting on the mound.

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