Why did Choo Shin-soo, who announced his retirement next year, decide to receive the minimum annual salary of 30 million won
SSG said on the 14th, "Choo Shin-soo decided to retire after finishing his professional baseball career at the end of 24 seasons."
Choo, who immediately entered the Major League after graduating from Busan High School, had a batting average of 275 (7,671 hits in 6,087 times at bat) in 1,652 games during his 16th season (2005-2020) with 218 homers, 782 RBIs, 961 runs, 157 steals, and OPS.824. Among Korean fielders, Choo, who had the best performance in the Major League among Korean fielders, left the Major League in 2020 and entered the KBO League. In Korea, he recorded a batting average of 260,000 (325 hits in 1,252 times at bat) in 361 games with 49 homers, 168 RBIs, 226 runs and 46 stolen bases with an OPS of .819.
Choo, who led his team to win the Korean Series title for the first time since the team's name was changed to SSG last year, had a disappointing performance this year with a batting average of 254 (97 hits in 382 times at bat) with 12 homers, 41 RBIs, 65 runs and six steals in 112 games. SSG also ranked third in the league with 76 wins, three draws and 65 losses, and lost to fourth-ranked NC (75 wins, two draws and 67 losses) in the semi-playoff, leaving disappointment.
"I had a lot of thoughts with my family during the offseason. Every time I did, I could see SSG fans cheering for me and, more than anything, younger players. I felt that much love for baseball and the team, so I agonized over my career path with the club. The new manager and the team both needed me and respected my opinion. Next year's performance is important, but depending on the team's situation, I want to contribute to the team by sharing my experiences and thoughts while training with younger players."
Choo Shin-soo, who broke the record of being the No. 1 player in the Korean professional baseball at the time with an annual salary of 2.7 billion won in his first year of joining the SSG, renewed his contract for 2.7 billion won in 2022 and received 1.7 billion won in annual salary this year. This year's annual salary was cut by 1 billion won compared to last year, but it still recorded the highest annual salary among players except for FA contract players and non-FA multi-year players.
Choo, who signed a contract with the highest salary every year, has made a decision to sign a contract with the minimum annual salary (30 million won) next year. He has expressed his intention to donate up to 30 million won (27,940 U.S. dollars), and will play the season virtually without pay next year. "Choo Shin-soo recently announced his retirement decision after the end of the 24th season and his intention to sign a minimum annual salary (30 million won) contract and donate the full amount of his annual salary to the club," the SSG said. "Respecting Choo's opinion, the SSG has also decided to join Choo's donation campaign. The exact amount of donation and various donation activities will be disclosed later," it said, revealing its plan to donate with Choo at the club level.
Regarding Choo's full donation of his annual salary, an SSG source said, "30 million won may not be a huge amount. However, he decided to donate the entire amount in return for his appreciation for the love he received from baseball. He wanted to end his career with a meaningful season. The club also plans to announce the details of the donation when the plan is completed."
Regarding Choo's minimum salary, SSG said, "Choo Shin-soo has decided to receive the minimum salary while giving consideration to the management of the team. The club is also very grateful for this. Thanks to this, we are able to expand our operations in salary cap, player's annual salary, and FA."
The salary cap system has been introduced in the KBO League since this year. The upper limit of salary cap, which will be applied until 2026, is 11.42638 billion won. SSG ranked first in the league with a team annual salary of 9.482 billion won (excluding rookies and foreign players) as of March 7, and is already close to salary cap. In this situation, SSG is breathing room thanks to Choo Shin-soo, who received an annual salary of 1.7 billion won, deciding to receive the minimum salary.
"Choo Shin-soo is not a player who is greedy for money. The team had a lot of concerns, but a lot of problems were resolved thanks to Choo's decision. The team has expanded its management scope. The team is also very grateful that Choo understands the team's situation and makes a decision. We plan to provide him with proper treatment."
Choo is considered one of the best hitters in the history of Korean baseball. Naturally, fans are paying keen attention to what he will do after retirement. Many predict that Choo will take the path of a leader. "We haven't discussed anything in detail yet. However, since he is a player who dies and lives in baseball, he may be considering moving forward as a leader. As far as I know, he is focusing on finishing next year's season well."
Attention is focusing on how Choo Shin-soo, who is preparing for the end of his career from the Major League to the KBO League, will show next season.