On the morning of the 19th, Oh Ji-hwan (33) of the LG Twins visited Jamsil Stadium in a suit to sign a 6-year, 12.4 billion won contract with the club.
After that, he changed into a uniform and sweated for about an hour and a half on the ground and indoors. After a while, I met with this magazine at Jamsil Stadium and throughout the interview, congratulatory calls were pouring in on my cell phone.
LG announced on the 19th that it had signed a contract with Oh Ji-hwan for a six-year contract from 2024 to 2029 for a total of 12.4 billion won. The guaranteed amount is KRW 10 billion, and an option of KRW 2.4 billion is included.
This is the first multi-year contract for the LG club. Oh Ji-hwan said, “The club treated me well. Thank you for recognizing me through a multi-year contract.” Oh Ji-hwan’s total performance in 14 seasons was a batting average of 0.265, 146 homers, 745 RBIs and 240 stolen bases in 1624 games. He ranks third in the most appearances by a shortstop in history, following Kim Min-jae and Park Jin-man.
With this contract, Oh Ji-hwan became the highest ransom for a shortstop in the history of the KBO League. Previously, Doosan Bears Kim Jae-ho and Lotte Giants Roh Jin-hyuk had the highest total of 5 billion won in 4 years. He said, “Shortstop is called the flower of an infielder, but it is a difficult position. It is good to be recognized for its value in the midst of that. I am grateful to all my teachers, including coach Ji-Hyun Ryu and coach Kyung-Yeop Yeom. I am a chosen player and a blessed player who met a good coach.” did.
Oh Ji-hwan graduated from Gyeonggi High School and joined the LG Twins in the first nomination in 2009. Even though Oh Ji-hwan made frequent mistakes, LG selected him as the next-generation main shortstop and continued to use him. He became an irreplaceable shortstop before he knew it. In December 2019, when he obtained his first FA qualification, Oh Ji-hwan signed a contract for a total of 4 billion won over 4 years. He said of his free agent contract three years ago, “I didn’t have any regrets. Rather, it was an opportunity to run with another goal,” and said, “I hope to become a senior who provides a better environment for juniors.”
Oh Ji-hwan has grown by a hand since then. He became the team’s captain and became a regular shortstop for the national team. In the 2022 season, 카지노사이트 he had a batting average of .269, 25 homers, 133 hits, 87 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 142 games. He was the first shortstop to use Jamsil Baseball Stadium as his home stadium, recording 20 (home runs) -20 (stealing bases) and winning his first Golden Glove. He also led LG’s most wins (87 wins) in a single season as the team’s captain in 2022.
Oh Ji-hwan’s free agent contract still has one year left, but LG general manager Cha Myung-seok said, “We are trying to conclude a multi-year contract with Oh Ji-hwan before leaving spring camp.” After negotiations began in December, an agreement on the contract period and total amount was almost reached earlier this month. The disagreement over the option was reduced, and the final agreement was concluded on the 18th after going through the parent group reporting process.
Oh Ji-hwan said, “It’s an honor to be able to finish (playing career) at LG. There are three seniors (Kim Yong-soo, Lee Byeong-gyu, and Park Yong-taek) who are permanently absent from LG, and I have dreams and goals that I want to follow the senior’s path.” . “LG is like family to me. Rather, I spent more time with him,” he said. laughed
LG evaluated, “Oh Ji-hwan is a one-club man and a franchise star for the LG Twins.
Oh Ji-hwan will captain LG in the 2023 season. Selected for the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) national team, he is scheduled to depart for Arizona, USA on the 21st and start building his body in earnest. He said, “Last year’s ending was so bad. I will run more happily in the 2023 season and try harder to achieve the goal I want.” “I will create a fun atmosphere for the team.”