The free-agent signing of outfielder Jun-woo Jeon, 37, of the Lotte Giants in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) did not just herald the birth of a franchise star who played only for Lotte.
His contract also stipulates that he will wear a Lotte uniform when he ends his playing career and begins his “second life.
Jeon Jun-woo and Lotte met at the club’s office on the morning of the 20th to sign a contract worth up to 4.7 billion won (4 billion won in guarantees and 700 million won in incentives) for four years.
Jun-woo, who signed a four-year, 3.4 billion won contract with Lotte in his first free agency, will receive 1 billion won more in total than he did four years ago, even though he is in his late 30s.
This means that he has been faithfully representing Lotte on and off the field.
At the end of this four-year contract, Jeon will turn 40.
It was a foregone conclusion that he would finish his career with Lotte, where he made his debut in 2008.
In addition, Lotte promised to send Jun-woo overseas for coaching training after his retirement.
This is the first step in upholding the “club tradition” that new president Park Jun-hyuk has emphasized since taking over.
“I am grateful to the manager, who always thinks about the value and importance of franchise players and is always active in building a strong team, reminding us of the meaning of ‘Giants Man,'” Jeon said.
With the LG Twins ascending to baseball’s “king of kings” this year, Lotte lost a teammate who shared Jol-ji’s “thirst for winning.
Lotte last won the Korean Series in 1992 and has never finished first in the regular season.
In the 11 seasons between 2013 and this year, Lotte has only made the postseason once, in 2007.
“My first priority is to send the team to fall baseball in the near future, and I want to win a league championship before I retire,” Jeon said.
“I’m excited to play with the best coach in the game, Kim Tae-hyung. We will go through a good process over the winter and show the fans the results.”
Lotte is in the process of building a new stadium to replace the dilapidated Sajik Baseball Stadium.
A task force has already been set up within the club, and the goal is to demolish the current Sajik Baseball Stadium and build a new one.
Joon-woo has pledged to donate 100 million won to the new stadium.
“I don’t know if I will be able to play in the new stadium, but I want to contribute something that is loved in Busan. I will discuss the details with the club.”
Jun-woo is an attractive resource for teams looking to bolster their offense.
However, Jeon signed the contract on the 18th, two days after the free agency market opened in earnest. It is the first signing of the free agency market this year.
“I’m grateful that some other teams have shown interest,” said Jeon, adding, “I didn’t have specific negotiations with other teams because I wanted to remain a Lotte One Club member, and I didn’t have time for that.” 먹튀검증