Will Kang Baek-ho’s salary negotiations pass smoothly this year.
It is the off-season, the season for annual salary negotiations. Different teams have different speeds, but this is almost the final stage. This is a time when two to three players, who are difficult to negotiate, will upset the clubs until the end.
KT Wiz had a hard time negotiating its annual salary at this time last year. It was because of Kang Baek-ho, its star player. Kang played only 62 games due to an injury in the 2022 season. He was embarrassed by the report card of a player who received an annual salary of 550 million won (245,000 U.S. dollars). In the following year, a salary cut was inevitable. However, Kang, who was dissatisfied with the cut, did not sign the seal until the end.
As it became known, he received criticism from fans. Without showing anything, just asking for money is not the attitude he should show as a star. Eventually, Kang was cut in half by 290 million won, and decided to cry out. He got on the plane late because he couldn’t even meet the departure period for the spring camp, and said, “I will show you that annual salary does not divide players’ grades.”
However, Kang’s 2023 season has not been smooth either. He failed to play properly due to his panic disorder. This year, he played in only 71 games and had only eight homers and 39 RBIs. To make matters worse, he failed to make it to the roster of the playoffs and the Korean Series, as he got hurt while preparing for the autumn baseball game too enthusiastically. What made Kang laugh was that he only received military service benefits by winning a gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games 헤라카지노주소.
However, military service benefits were personal gain, not contribution to the team. In other words, when evaluating only visible performance and performance, Kang Baek-ho had no choice but to be classified as a target of salary reduction once again.
It was not much different from last year. Then, would he have been proposed with huge cuts? And would Kang have failed to accept it? Rumors have it that Kang has already reached an agreement with his club. He ended the salary negotiations without making any noise. Kang is said to be making preparations for his reputation as a “fearless man” regardless of money.
The team must have had a hard time crushing star player’s self-esteem due to drastic cutbacks for two consecutive years. The team entered into negotiations based on a plan to protect its self-esteem to some extent and give motivation for its performance in the new season.
KT will overcome the pain of being the runner-up in the Korean Series last year and try to win its second title since its foundation. What is essential for this is the revival of Kang Baek-ho. Only when Kang Baek-ho saves a chance at the center can the power of the batting line be united.