KT WIZ manager Lee Kang-cheol expressed great satisfaction with infielder Lee Ho-yeon, whom he brought in as a trade from the Lotte Giants. He was more satisfied because he was an infielder who could hit a long hit that was lacking in the current team’s infield.
On May 19, KT carried out a one-on-one trade with Lotte for pitcher Shim Jae-min and infielder Lee Ho-yeon.
KT, who needed reinforcements in the offensive infield, endured the blood loss of left-hander Shim Jae-min, who had been with the team for a long time.
After the trade, Lee Ho-yeon started immediately against the Suwon Doosan Bears on the 20th. Lee Ho-yeon, who alternated second and third baseman in the game, even reported his first hit while wearing a KT uniform.
Coach Lee Kang-cheol met with reporters ahead of the match against Doosan in Suwon on the 21st and said about Lee Ho-yeon’s KT debut match, “From the first at-bat, the batting timing seemed good. The second at-bat also made good contact. His hitting talent is definitely there. He plans to play mainly at the third base position going forward. He smiled and said, “I am more satisfied with being a left-handed infielder who hits long shots, which was lacking in our team.”
Since its founding, KT has made big trades with Lotte quite often. Including infielder Hwang Jae-kyun, who was recruited as an external free agent, infielders Oh Yoon-seok and Shin Bon-gi, catchers Jang Seong-woo and Kim Jun-tae are Lotte-made beasts who have successfully settled in KT through trade.안전놀이터
Manager Lee said, “If Lee Ho-yeon settles down, I think we will see synergy effects for the rest of the season along with strengthening competition within the team. Shim Jae-min, who went to Lotte, was also a necessary resource because he was preparing for the start. The opponent seemed to be in need of a left-hander, so I just presented the card and it turned out. Before that, there were two infielders who were listed as trade candidates, but when we brought up the story, they came up to the first team right away and have been playing well so far. It is not that easy to trade.”
Lee Ho-yeon was also named in the starting lineup for the match on the 21st. On the 21st, KT Kang Baek-ho (right fielder) – Kim Min-hyuk (left fielder) – Moon Sang-cheol (designated hitter) – Park Byeong-ho (1st baseman) – Jang Seong-woo (catcher) – Lee Ho-yeon (3rd baseman) – Park Kyung-soo (2nd baseman) – Lee Si-won (center fielder) – Kim Sang-soo ( Shortstop), with the starting batting order leading to Doosan starting pitcher Choi Won-joon. KT starting pitcher is Benjamin.
Coach Lee said, “I removed Alford from the starting lineup in consideration of the fact that the opponent’s selection is sidearm and the hitting feeling is not good recently. He also said, “Since our team’s starting ace is going out, he made changes to strengthen the outfield defense.”