Could Kiwoom Heroes and Seo Gun-chang (34) be reunited?
LG announced its 12-player suspension list on March 25. Among the 12 players who left the team was Seo Gun-chang, who won the 2014 league MVP.
Seo joined LG in 2008 as a developmental player, but never really made a mark. He appeared in only one first-team game, and it looked like his baseball career was over when he was released after an injury and enlisted in the military.
However, in September 2011, he tried out for Nexen (now Kiwoom) and joined the team as a developmental player, and after showing exceptional skills, he was registered as an official player in 2012. And that’s when Seo’s best years began. In 127 games in 2012, he batted .433 (115-for-433) with one home run, 40 RBIs, 70 runs scored, 39 doubles, and an OPS of .709, showing that he had the potential to be a starter.
Seo’s golden year was arguably 2014. In 128 games, he batted .543 (201-for-543) with seven home runs, 67 RBIs, 135 runs scored, 48 doubles, and a .985 OPS, becoming the first and last player in KBO history to reach 200 hits. The milestone helped the team reach its first Korean Series in franchise history, and Seo was named league MVP 아톰카지노.
Seo continued to be a key player for Kiwoom until 2018, when he was injured and missed most of the season. His performance gradually declined, and he was eventually traded to LG in 2021.
At LG, Seo fell into a slump. In his first year with LG, he batted just 2-for-48 (58-for-235) with two home runs, 24 RBIs, 33 runs scored, six doubles, and a .655 OPS in 68 games, and was eligible for free agency after the season but did not opt in. He struggled again last year, appearing in just 77 games, and did not exercise his second free agency option.
This year, expectations were different for Seo Jianchang. This was because Yeom Kyung-yup, who played with him in his prime, was appointed as LG’s head coach. However, the reunion was not enough to save Seo’s career. In 44 games this year, Seo had a career year with a .542 batting average (22-for-110), 12 RBIs, 14 runs scored, three doubles, and an OPS of .542, and was not even eligible for a third free agency. However, LG released Seo and he voluntarily entered the market.
The first team to reach out to Seo, whose expectations are now much lower, was Kiwoom, where Seo spent his prime. “As soon as we heard that Seo was released, we contacted him and asked him to join us. We haven’t heard from him yet, so we’re still waiting.”
With Kiwoom reaching out to him like a father-daughter team, there’s no reason for Seo Jianchang to hesitate for long. However, if Seo is determined to bounce back, returning to Kiwoom might be a bit much. Kiwoom has a solid second baseman in Kim Hye-sung. Add to that Choi Joo-hwan, an infielder who has hit 20 home runs this year, in the second round of the draft on May 22. It may not be easy for Seo to get a chance to play for Kiwoom.
Manager Ko Hyung-wook said, “(Seo) Geon-chang must have a lot of complicated feelings. I think he has a lot of thoughts. We haven’t proposed specific contract terms yet. He has to express his intention to join us before we can negotiate. He’s still on the market, so he’ll want to look around.” “He means a lot to our team. I hope he comes back and we can finish well together,” he said, adding that he hopes Seo will return.