Lotte announced on Nov. 5 last year that it notified a total of four players of no avail to renew their contracts. One of them was Lee Hak-joo (35), who had long been expected to be a "genius shortstop." While the performance was not as good as expected, many said it was unexpected considering the team's shortstop position.토토사이트

Lotte had deep agony as it did not have a clear shortstop in mind for a long time. It was Lee Hak-joo who was expected to be the troubleshooter. He acquired the player through a trade with Samsung ahead of the 2022 season. Although he is not a small number of young players, he expected that he would use his capability immediately and serve as a stepping stone for younger players to grow up. However, Lee's career in Lotte's uniform did not turn out so easily.

There was a brilliant defense that produced highlight films, but aside from that, there were also frequent errors. He also failed to rebound in his offensive performance. As a result, he had a hard time establishing himself as a starting player. In 2022, his first season after moving to Lotte, he played in 91 games and recorded 12 errors. His batting average dropped to 0.207. Things did not change in 2023. He played in 104 games, but he failed to gain trust from the team, as he was sluggish with a batting average of 0.209 and an on-base percentage of 0.287.

Disappointed by Lee's performance, Lotte began to seek a detour by signing a four-year contract worth 5 billion won (approx. Lee Hak-joo, who lost ground, failed to regain confidence in the first team despite Noh's slump. He played in 43 games in 2024. This meant that there was no room in the new edition of the team under coach Kim Tae-hyung. Finally, he received a bitter release notice after the 2024 season.

It's been two months since he was released, but there has been no word that he has found a new team yet. There has been no news that he has been tested. Despite the heavy name value, the other nine also suggest that he is not very interested in Lee. Although there has been no official announcement yet, such as the decision to retire, players are also reportedly getting tired. Unless there is a special twist before the 10-team spring camp begins, he may end his career. For an infielder in his mid-30s, a "blank" could be a fatal blow.

He was once considered a "genius shortstop" and recognized in the U.S., and his talent is on the verge of ending in vain. Lee Hak-joo, who led the golden infielder era in 1990, came into the spotlight by signing a contract with the Chicago Cubs of the Major League after graduating from high school, and was considered a shortstop who represents the minor league after wearing the Tampa Bay uniform in trade. None of the young players who went straight to the U.S. after graduating from high school achieved as high ranking as Lee Hak-joo.

However, his performance deteriorated after suffering a fatal cruciate ligament injury, and he failed to make his Major League debut, which he was about to catch. Returning to Korea, he seemed to have a final chance, but that was not all. He was named Samsung's second first-round pick (second overall pick) in the 2019 Rookie Draft amid assessment that he could use it as a starting shortstop immediately, but he did not display all of his talent. He also failed to take advantage of his last chance at Lotte. During his six seasons in the KBO league, he posted a batting average of 0.233, 23 homers and 116 RBIs, which fell short of expectations, and posted 57 errors.

While each club's power plan has been completed to some extent, the cold winter continues for the players who have not yet been re-employed. Only when there is a hole in the power plan will we look back on the re-employment market, but it is not in that stage yet. However, some players continue to train without giving up their dreams of active duty and are waiting for calls from other teams. Ko Hyo-joon, who was released from SSG, is still in good physical condition and dreaming of a miracle, and Park Min-ho is also continuing to throw the ball and give up his last hope. Attention is focusing on whether Lee Hak-joo and other releases will be able to deliver new news.