Can Raul Alcantara (33) of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) team Kiwoom Heroes save the struggling team?

Kiwoom announced on the 19th that it requested a waiver on foreign hitter Yasiel Puig and signed a remaining season contract with right-handed pitcher Raul Alcantara for an aggregate of $400,000 (approximately 500 million won), including a salary of $250,000 (approximately 300 million won) and an option of $150,000 (approximately 200 million won). It decided to abandon the strategy of using two foreign hitters and opted to rebuild its weakened starting rotation.

Alcantara is a veteran pitcher who has recorded 46 wins and 24 losses with an earned run average of 3.21 over 101 games (627⅔ innings) in the KBO league. While playing for Doosan in 2020, he won the Golden Glove award for pitching with a record of 20 wins and 2 losses and an earned run average of 2.54 over 31 games (198⅔ innings), and thanks to this performance, he advanced to Nippon Professional Baseball (Hanshin).

Once hailed as the top ace in the league, Alcantara recorded only 2 wins, 2 losses, and an earned run average of 4.76 over 12 games (64⅓ innings) last season with Doosan. Due to a drop in performance caused by an elbow injury, Alcantara was ultimately replaced mid-season. However, after signing with Kiwoom, he has returned to the KBO league after a year.

Alcantara entered Korea on the 27th and met for the first time with the Kiwoom players on the 30th. In a pre-game interview, he said, "I am very happy to return to Korea. My family and I all love Korea. It feels good to be back in Korea," adding that he expressed gratitude to the players for the opportunity to play on this team. He noted, "While I have a strong desire to win, I also want to get along well with my teammates. I will show good performance and lead the games in a good direction."

"I was a little surprised when I first received the offer from Kiwoom," Alcantara revealed, adding that he was happy at the thought of returning to Korea and that his excitement grew throughout the negotiations with Kiwoom. He said, "When I pitched at Gocheok Dome before, I felt really good on the mound. I enjoy pitching at Gocheok Dome."

On that day, Alcantara tested his condition by throwing 35 pitches in the bullpen and stated, "I threw 35 pitches today, and I was able to place them where I wanted. My control with off-speed pitches was good, so I am satisfied with my bullpen session." He added, "It's common for the journey to lengthen when moving to another league. Although it was a bit tiring due to the long journey, I have no major issues with pitching. My physical condition is fine. I took a few months off as the doctor advised, and I have undergone treatment, so I have no problems with throwing."

Given the elbow injury, the most concerning aspect is the drop in velocity. However, Alcantara explained, "If I compare how I originally pitched to how I pitch now, there isn’t a significant difference. However, looking back at last year, I had elbow issues and a lack of confidence. Considering my physical condition and mental aspects now, I feel I am in much better shape." He added, "In the Mexican league, I hit speeds of 96 mph (154.5 km/h) and 97 mph (156.1 km/h). I believe my average was about 94 mph (151.3 km/h). In a way, I think I might have developed a better fastball than I originally pitched."

Alcantara, who will face his former team Doosan on June 1, remarked, "It’s hard to pinpoint just one player from Doosan. All the hitters on Doosan are good hitters. I believe we should be cautious of all of them. Of course, I will do my best to win on Sunday. I don’t know what kind of game will unfold on Sunday, but I will do my utmost to create a good game using everything I have."

"I don’t feel a lot of pressure. I am focusing on doing my best at what I can and showcasing what I have," Alcantara said, adding, "My goal this year is to perform well and pitch in the KBO league for as long as possible. I want to pitch for at least another two years and retire here."

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