Can Kang-Nam Yoo and Jin-Hyuk Noh infuse the 토토 DNA of a strong team into the Lotte Giants?
Lotte achieved power reinforcement through active investment this winter. Received a paid-in capital increase of 19 billion won from Lotte Holdings to fill the real ammunition and fill the insufficient position in the free agent market. Invested a total of 8 billion won over 4 years to recruit Yoo Kang-nam. The hostess filled the void. In addition, he signed a contract with Noh Jin-hyeok for a total of 5 billion won over 4 years, and even reinforced the shortstop. Lotte is aiming for fall baseball with a bold investment.
Lotte recorded 80 wins, 2 draws and 62 losses in the 2017 season. Finishing the regular season in 3rd place, he stood on the semi-playoff stage. Fans also enjoyed fall baseball for a long time and expected Lotte to achieve better results. However, Lotte has always failed to advance to the postseason. Sajik Stadium, which seemed to be filled with shouts of fans in the fall, was piled up layer upon layer of dust.
Lotte failed to advance to the postseason for a long time. Now, there are not many players left who have experienced fall baseball. Of the players named on the 2017 semi-playoff list, only six players have worn Lotte uniforms so far. Park Se-woong, Kim Won-joong, Na Kyun-an, Jung Hoon, Jeon Jun-woo, and Park Jin-hyung (enlisted in the military) are all. As the results were not good, the team was also engulfed in a sense of defeat.
On the contrary, Yoo Kang-nam and Noh Jin-hyuk were part of a team that had maintained a high ranking for a long time. Yoo Kang-nam played an active role as a host in the LG Twins, and took the fall stage from 2016 and 2019 to 2022. Noh Jin-hyeok also experienced the postseason in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020 as a member of the NC Dinos. In 2020, he contributed to NC’s first combined victory and won the championship ring.
Lotte hopes that Kang-Nam Yoo and Jin-Hyuk Noh will infuse the DNA of a strong team. The majority of young players in the clubhouse are in their early to mid-twenties. If Yoo Gang-nam and Noh Jin-hyuk pass on the know-how they have accumulated throughout their careers to the squad, they will be able to grow faster than they do now. Park Se-woong also expressed expectations, saying, “Yoo Gang-nam is a player who played on a strong team. He worked with good pitchers. He will help the team’s power rise.”
Lotte focused on rebuilding over the past few years, but now the atmosphere has changed. A consensus was formed that both the field and the front desk had to produce results. I wonder if Lotte will be able to see the effect of recruiting Yoo Kang-nam and Noh Jin-hyuk.