Two FA duos who were treated coldly and neglected four years ago are gathered in Lotte. Jeon Jun-woo (38) and Ahn Chi-hong (33) were undervalued at the time of their first free agency four years ago, and eventually signed for a relatively small amount without competition. Now comes the time for them to get a second free agency qualification and have to be reevaluated.
Jeon Jun-woo and Ahn Chi-hong are veterans in their mid-30s, but they have become indispensable in Lotte’s lineup. Junwoo Jeon is the oldest member of the team, and Chihong Ahn is leading the team as a leadership group as the team’s captain.
Jeon Jun-woo is a franchise star who has been active only in Lotte for 16 years. Although Lee Dae-ho has taken over as the most senior member of the team after retiring, he is still showing off the highest level of productivity within the team. Foreign batters and young giants are all below expectations, but Jeon Jun-woo remains unchanged. It is difficult to imagine a lineup without Jeon Jun-woo. He finished with a batting average of .805 with an OPS of . Home runs, RBIs, OPS are all first on the team.
Ahn Chi-hong is also the pillar of the infield and holds the center of the team with quiet leadership. It’s heavy both in the clubhouse and on the ground. He finished with a batting average of 2.9 and 7 Lee (106 hits in 357 bats), 6 home runs, 53 RBIs and 47 runs, and an OPS of .778. Home runs, RBIs, and OPS were second on the team behind Jeon Jun-woo. With a batting average of 306 in scoring position, he is also one of the best solvers in the league. Among players who have filled the required at-bats, he is second in scoring position (first place Samsung Koo Ja-wook, .425).
Naturally, both players ranked first and second on the team in terms of contribution to victory (WAR) against replacement players. Based on the stats, Ahn Chi-hong is 2.47 and Jeon Jun-woo is 1.81. Both with visible records and invisible appearances, the two players are currently irreplaceable in Lotte.
However, after the 2019 season, they obtained their first FA qualification and went to the market, but had to face the cold reality. In 2014, when he was selected for the Incheon Asian Games national team, he drank high school and enlisted as a motive for the police baseball team and became close friends. We had a lot in common, but even during our first FA, we spent time together.메이저놀이터
As most of the clubs went into austerity, the market itself was not active and there was no competition. The conditions for them to receive a jackpot contract have not been formed. In the end, Jeon Jun-woo signed a contract with Lotte for 3.6 billion won for 4 years, and An Chi-hong left KIA and signed an unprecedented contract with Lotte for 2+2 years and 5.6 billion won. An Chi-hong chose to accompany Lotte for 4 years while choosing the option to extend the contract for 2 years during the 2021 season.
In many ways, they signed a contract that was far from their name value at the time. After that, he was extremely proud and worked hard to prove his worth for four years. They are ranked in the top 20 in league WAR standings so far this year. Jeon Jun-woo recorded 12.91 for 4 years and ranked 15th, and Ahn Chi-hong ranked 20th overall with 11 and 17. It was confirmed that he is still a competitive hitter in the league. However, their contribution in defense is a factor that somewhat lowers their value. Jeon Jun-woo also plays as a left fielder this year, but he should be regarded as a designated hitter. An Chi-hong is also a second baseman, but the frequency of first baseman trips is increasing. A left fielder is more valuable than a designated hitter, and a second baseman is more valuable than a first baseman.
From Lotte’s point of view, without them, the competitiveness of other ships will disappear. Above all, veteran players Jeon Jun-woo and Ahn Chi-hong should take the center stage at a time when coach Larry Sutton voluntarily resigned (actually hardened) for health reasons. And the team, which is currently in 7th place with a difference of 5 games from KIA in 5th place, needs to be further improved. In the remaining 36 games, if Jeon Jun-woo and Ahn Chi-hong raise the team together, their value can be evaluated higher. Lotte’s reversal and the value re-evaluation of Jeon Jun-woo and Ahn Chi-hong all depend on the remaining game performance.
