Finally receiving a call from manager Kim Tae-hyung, Han Hyun-hee's face was not bright. Over the last two years, he had failed to meet the expectations of Lotte fans, so he expressed a solemn determination to return to his original mindset and pitch for survival this year.

The Lotte Giants registered the affectionate yet exasperating submarine pitcher Han Hyun-hee to the season's first 1st team roster ahead of the scheduled game against the KT Wiz at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 9th. Manager Kim Tae-hyung, who promoted Han Hyun-hee instead of Gu Seung-min, explained, "The key is how focused Han Hyun-hee can be while pitching. I haven't designated a specific role. Depending on the situation, he could pitch as a starter or in relief."

Meeting him on site, Han Hyun-hee said, "It's been so long since I've been in the 1st team. My wife, parents, and in-laws are all really happy, so I need to do well to make sure I don't go down again," adding, "I don't know when I'll go out, but when I do, I need to pitch well. I've been in the 2nd team for a long time and have created a new breaking ball. I want to utilize it well."

Han Hyun-hee specifically mentioned about the breaking ball, saying, "I developed a good sinker. The ball goes more like a splitter than I expected," and explained, "I focused on my breaking balls and fastball control while pitching in the 2nd team. Because ABS is disadvantageous for sidearm pitchers, I concluded that I need to add one more pitch to perform better. The sinker is a pitch I used to throw with Kiwoom but hadn't thrown until I started again this year."

Han Hyun-hee struggled with a 1 win and 3 losses, with a 6.90 earned run average over 7 games in the Futures League. He gave up 6 home runs and 13 walks over 30 innings pitched, with a high batting average against of .344. In his most recent appearance on the 3rd against the Doosan Bears, he allowed 8 hits (1 home run), 3 walks, and struck out 5 in 5 innings, suffering a loss despite this; however, he still received a call from manager Kim Tae-hyung.

Han Hyun-hee confessed, "It's not that I should naturally not perform well in the 2nd team, but it was a bit difficult," and admitted, "Honestly, it was my fault that I couldn't make it to the 1st team. I should have concentrated as much as possible, even if I wasn't nervous or in good form, but I couldn't do that, and I regret it."

Ahead of the 2023 season, Han Hyun-hee signed a free agent contract with Lotte for a total of 4 billion won ($40 million) over 3+1 years (with a signing bonus of 300 million won, guaranteed salary of 1.5 billion won, and a maximum of 3.7 billion won). Contrary to expectations, the first two years were a series of disappointments. In his first year, he had 6 wins, 12 losses, and 3 holds in 38 games with an earned run average of 5.45, and last year, he had 5 wins, 3 losses, and 8 holds in 57 games with an earned run average of 5.19, failing to meet expectations. He frequently alternated between starting and bullpen roles without securing a solid position.

Han Hyun-hee expressed, "I lost a lot of confidence over the past two years. It's not that I couldn't just perform the same, but since I came to this team as a free agent, I had a strong desire to meet the fans' expectations. However, as the results didn't improve, I lost confidence." He emphasized, "Now I will pitch to survive. There's no spot for me in the 1st team and nothing else. I have to create something out of nothing."

The pressure to show something in the 1st team has also disappeared. Han Hyun-hee stated, "If I could have shown something just because I wanted to, I would have done so already. Now I just want to throw each ball carefully."

Han Hyun-hee's goal in the final year of his 3-year contract is to help Lotte in its pursuit of 3rd place by overcoming the disappointments of the last two years. He said, "I really want to do well. Whether I go out when the team is losing or winning, it’s good if I can pitch well and help the team win or secure a victory. I will do my best to give it a try."

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