Although they lost a valuable military-serving left-handed pitcher, LG manager Youm Kyoung-youb was full of confidence. Looking back at the successful cases of Park Byeong-ho and Son Ho-young, he noted, "Trades are more likely to be a turning point for position players than for pitchers," solidifying his faith in the success of Cheon Seong-ho and Kim Joon-tae.

On the morning of the 25th, the professional baseball LG Twins conducted a 1-for-2 trade, sending left-handed pitcher Lim Jun-hyung to KT Wiz and acquiring infielder Cheon Seong-ho and catcher Kim Joon-tae in return.

Cheon Seong-ho, who graduated from Jinheung High School and Dankook University, joined the pros in the 2020 rookie draft as the 12th pick in the second round. He gained experience by appearing in 66 games from his first year and completed his military service with Sangmu. Cheon Seong-ho's career stats in the first team include 213 games, 412 at-bats, 109 hits, a batting average of .265, 1 home run, and 29 RBIs. He achieved a batting average of .350 in the 2023 season while playing for Sangmu, winning the batting title in the Futures League Southern League.

On the 25th, manager Youm Kyoung-youb, who met in Suwon, assessed Cheon Seong-ho, saying, "He is a player with hitting advantages. I remember he had a batting average of .500 at the beginning of last year. He lacks power but I have a very good view of his contact ability and accuracy" and explained, "Now we need to teach him defense and make him a player who can handle the overall responsibilities. The team has changed, and we have our own coaching style. If the coach changes, the player can change too. Coach Kim Il-kyung will focus heavily on defensive practice."

There are also predictions that Cheon Seong-ho could become a .300 hitter in the future. Manager Youm Kyoung-youb stated, "If everything goes well, he can become a hitter who can hit .300," adding, "He has experience leading the batting average in the second team. I see definite hitting talent. Of course, his hitting is somewhat rough, so it will be important to figure out how to refine that aspect going forward. He needs to overcome his weaknesses."

Following the trade, Cheon Seong-ho is expected to be assigned to the roles of second baseman and first baseman for the time being. His participation is anticipated during times when Austin Dean and Shin Min-jae need rest. Manager Youm Kyoung-youb stated, "For now, we plan to use him mainly as a second baseman and first baseman for a month. We will evaluate through training if he can play shortstop and third base."

Kim Joon-tae, who joined the pros as a nurturing player for Lotte in 2012 after graduating from Gyeongnam High School, became a KT player through a trade with Oh Yun-seok in July 2021. Following the trade, he experienced a unified championship and earned his first championship ring, and in the following year, he played the role of the second catcher supporting Jang Seong-woo after Heo Do-hwan transferred to LG as a free agent.

Kim Joon-tae's position has sharply diminished since the 2023 season. Due to the reinstatement of Kang Hyun-woo, Kang Baek-ho's transition to catcher, and Jo Dae-hyun's development, he has only appeared in 92 games over the past three years. Since June 8 last year, he has been absent from the first team and started this year in the second team, but he also suffered a finger fracture in April.

Manager Youm Kyoung-youb noted, "Kim Joon-tae has completed rehabilitation and has started practicing. Now that he has begun training, his condition will improve as he participates in upcoming games," adding, "If Park Dong-won gets injured, the catching position could be in trouble, so having Kim Joon-tae join is a huge benefit. Kim Joon-tae is planned to be registered as the third catcher, and he will also be utilized as a pinch hitter. Currently, he is better than our other pinch hitters."

Cheon Seong-ho was a backup player in the KT infield, and Kim Joon-tae was classified as completely outside the roster. But why is the manager confident in their success? Manager Youm Kyoung-youb stated, "These players have received a tremendous opportunity. They didn't get a chance at KT, but they can receive opportunities at LG. They may also be able to train areas they couldn't see at KT. Depending on what kind of person or coach they meet, players can change; that's baseball."

Manager Youm Kyoung-youb referred to the success stories of Park Byeong-ho (LG→Nexen) and Son Ho-young (LG→Lotte) to emphasize, "Son Ho-young, who went to Lotte, gained confidence because he was given many opportunities. He became a completely different player. Park Byeong-ho also thrived through the trade," stating, "A change in environment means new opportunities. A trade can provide a tremendous opportunity for players, and especially position players are greatly affected by their environment. The likelihood of position players succeeding through a trade is considerably higher than that of pitchers."

Cheon Seong-ho will face his old team on the 26th against KT in Suwon. He is expected to play as first and second baseman in the remaining first-half roster to acclimatize to the new team's atmosphere. Kim Joon-tae, still affected by his finger fracture, plans to recover and train his skills in Icheon.

Could Cheon Seong-ho and Kim Joon-tae become the second Park Byeong-ho and Son Ho-young?

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