One by one, the outlines of the KBO's foreign players for the 2024 season are emerging. However, the KIA Tigers' 2024 season foreign player composition is still a mystery. While the outline of foreign pitchers is still in limbo, it will be interesting to see if the re-signing of outfielder Socrates Brito will be heard first.
KIA has included existing foreign batsman Socrates Brito and foreign pitcher Thomas Pannoni on its pending roster for the 2024 season. Mario Sanchez, who was acquired from the Taiwanese League midseason, was removed from the roster.
KIA is basically looking at the foreign player market with the idea of replacing both foreign pitchers. After the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings in the first week of December, the team narrowed down its options and made contract offers. Re-signing Panoni is reportedly not a top priority at this point. However, the team is open to re-signing him depending on the outcome of future foreign pitching signings.
However, the market for foreign pitchers is tight. Finding two new pitchers is not an easy task this winter, much less one who is already under contract. In fact, some teams that have tried to find new pitchers have ended up re-signing existing ones. In one case, Pitcher A, who had received multiple offers, was found to have a serious disqualifying factor that caused teams to withdraw. A protracted battle that could last beyond the end of the year and into the beginning of the new year is also possible. 카지노사이트777
A club official said, "The aftermath of the major league pitching shortage is also having an adverse effect on KBO teams looking for foreign pitchers this winter. The clubs that are able to re-sign their two existing foreign pitchers are truly blessed."
The good news is that the team is in positive talks to re-sign Socrates. In 142 games in 2023, Socrates batted .285 with 156 hits, 20 home runs, 96 RBI, 15 doubles, a .344 on-base percentage, and a .463 slugging percentage. Along with Austin (LG Twins) and Heredia (SSG Landers), he was the most consistent foreign hitter in the KBO in the 2023 season.
A KIA representative said, "In recent years, it has been difficult for new foreign hitters to quickly adapt to the KBO. In Socrates' case, he has been playing for two years and is now a proven resource in the KBO. It is risky to change foreign batters, so we are positively progressing with the re-contract negotiation table with Socrates."
SSG also re-signed the proven Eredia for a total of $1.5 million ($150,000 signing bonus, $1.15 million annual salary, $200,000 option) after quite a bit of back-and-forth at the negotiating table. Kia is hoping to close the gap with Socrates at the negotiating table and make a re-signing announcement by the end of the year or as early as the Christmas holidays. It will be interesting to see if Kia will be able to re-sign Socrates and give Kia fans a Christmas present first.