KT Wiz named right-hander Moon Yong-ik as compensation player for Kim Jae-yoon, who signed a free agent contract with Samsung. KT said that Moon has a fastball in the range of up to 150 kilometers and a high-quality slider.
KT Wiz officially announced on the 29th that it has named right-hander Moon Yong-ik (28) as a compensator for Kim Jae-yoon, who signed an FA contract with the Samsung Lions.
KT general manager Na Do-hyun said, “He is a player who plays high-quality sliders based on fast fastballs of up to 150 kilometers, and we expect him to contribute to the bullpen’s strength next season.”
Moon Yong-ik, who graduated from Deokyang Elementary School, Yangcheon Middle School, Cheongwon High School and World Cyber University, was selected 59th overall in the second round of 6th round by the Samsung Lions in the 2017 2nd Rookie Draft. Moon Yong-ik, who signed a contract as an official player in 2019, played in 22 games in the 2021 season, marking two wins and no loss with two saves and a 4.50 ERA.
In the 2022 season, he played in 39 games with one win, two losses, one save, two hold and an ERA of 3.35 before recording one win and one unbeaten ERA of 4.15 in 14 games in the 2023 season. For three seasons in the KBO League from the 2021 season, he posted a detailed record of 54 strikeouts and 37 runs (31 earned runs) that were hit by 60 hits (five home runs) with 44 walks and five hits (31 earned runs) while throwing 72 ⅔ innings. 안전놀이터 추천
In the Futures League, he played in 84 games since the 2017 season, recording six wins, four losses, seven saves, and five holds with an ERA of 5.91. During a total of 141 ⅔ innings, he allowed 152 hits (11 homers), 95 walks, 10 hits, 135 strikeouts, and 105 runs (93 earned runs).
Meanwhile, the Samsung Lions had Kim Jae-yoon, a former closing pitcher of KT Wiz, as a free agent. On the 22nd, Samsung strengthened its bullpen by signing a four-year maximum of 5.8 billion won (down payment of 2 billion won, annual salary of 2.8 billion won, and incentive total of 1 billion won).
Kim Jae-yoon, a native of Hwimoon High School, joined KT Wiz in 2015 as the 13th pick in the second special nomination of the rookie draft. He played in 481 professional games, recording 44 wins, 33 losses, 17 holds, 169 saves, and an ERA of 3.58. In particular, he has achieved more than 30 saves for three consecutive seasons since 2021, establishing himself as one of the best closing pitchers representing the KBO League. At the time, after recruiting Kim Jae-yoon, Samsung said, “We expect him to be the best player to firmly protect the victory on the mound at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu.”
Kim Jae-yoon said through his club, “The Samsung Lions made a good suggestion and I felt that they really needed me. The Samsung Lions were the best team that could not be seen in the 2015 season after their debut in the KBO. I want to do my best to raise the dynasty once again. I have always seen Lions fans root for me. I am excited and looking forward to it, thinking that I am the target of cheering for you.”
Lee Jong-yeol, the general manager of Samsung, said, “We want to put great significance in that we recruited Kim Jae-yoon, who we thought was the best resource among FA pitchers, and reinforced the bullpen, which was the most lacking part of the team this season. We expect that the recruitment of Kim Jae-yoon will eliminate anxiety about the back door and ultimately create a positive result of improving the team’s performance.”