The 'FA 12 billion' battery that needs to work together in the first team, Han Hyun-hee and Yoo Kang-nam teamed up in the second team. They showed decent performances in the second team.
Han Hyun-hee started on the 14th in a Futures League game against the Hanwha Eagles at a stadium in Seosan, pitching 6 innings, allowing 7 hits (1 home run), 2 walks, and 3 earned runs, recording a quality start. He threw 88 pitches.
After striking out the leadoff batter Bae Seung-soo in the first inning, Han Hyun-hee allowed Lee Seung-hyun a single to left. He struck out Jang Gyu-hyun again but allowed a two-run home run to Kim In-hwan. It was a massive home run with a distance of 130 meters. Jeong Min-kyu caught a pop-up from the second baseman, barely finishing the first inning.
He allowed more runs in the second inning. He gave up a double to the leadoff batter Kim Geon. Afterward, he got Han Ji-yoon to ground out to the pitcher and caught Choi Jun-seo with a grounder, leading to 2 outs with a runner on third. However, he couldn't prevent the runner on third from scoring after allowing a single to the second baseman Lee Min-jae. Nevertheless, he finished the second inning without allowing any additional runs by getting Lee Min-jae with a pick-off.
After allowing 3 runs by the second inning, Han Hyun-hee pitched without allowing any runs from the third inning onwards. He faced a crisis in the third inning when he allowed a walk to leadoff batter Bae Seung-soo and a single to Lee Seung-hyun, putting him in a situation with runners on first and second with no outs. However, he struck out Jang Gyu-hyun, Kim In-hwan, and Jeong Min-kyu all in a row, showcasing his effectiveness with three consecutive strikeouts.
In the fourth inning, he again allowed the leadoff batter Kim Geon to reach base due to a third baseman's error. He then walked Han Ji-yoon, creating another situation with no outs and runners on first and second. However, he managed to overcome the scoring threat once again by getting Choi Jun-seo to fly out to left field and then getting Lee Min-jae to ground out to the pitcher, and finally striking out Bae Seung-soo to snuff out the risk.
In the fifth inning, he recorded an out on leadoff batter Lee Seung-hyun who hit a fly ball to right field. Although he gave up a single to Jang Gyu-hyun, he got Kim In-hwan to fly out to left and Jeong Min-kyu to foul out to first base, managing to pass through the middle of the game.
The sixth inning was the final inning. He again allowed the leadoff batter Kim Geon a single to center field. He struck out Han Ji-yoon and prevented the runner Kim Geon from stealing second base during Choi Jun-seo's at-bat, creating 2 outs. Ultimately, he struck out Choi Jun-seo on 3 pitches, completing his quality start.
On this day, the catcher who worked with Han Hyun-hee was Yoo Kang-nam. Yoo Kang-nam was removed from the first team roster on the 8th and sent down to the second team. He was sent down for reorganization and is in a situation where it is uncertain when he can return to the first team. In his game as a catcher that day, he recorded 1 hit and 1 walk in 2 at-bats. He has appeared in 4 games in the second team, recording 4 hits in 13 at-bats.
The two players both gained FA eligibility after the 2022 season and simultaneously joined Lotte's roster. Yoo Kang-nam signed a contract with Lotte for a total of 8 billion won over 4 years, while Han Hyun-hee signed a maximum contract worth 4 billion won over 3+1 years.
However, both players have not had a satisfactory season since their FA contracts. After undergoing knee surgery last year, Yoo Kang-nam made a strong effort this year but has been spending time in the second team due to issues in defense. Han Hyun-hee also did not make the opening roster this year and has only pitched 3 games in the first team (with an earned run average of 6.23).
It is a concern that FA contract players who need to contribute in the first team remain in the second team. For Lotte, with injuries occurring frequently, the thin player depth in the first team is a significant disappointment.
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