This is why I couldn't catch An Chi-hong...Lotte, which can't afford 'Salcap', will find it more difficult to be an external FA for the time being
This is why I couldn't catch An Chi-hong...Lotte, which can't afford 'Salcap', will find it more difficult to be an external FA for the time being
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Due to various circumstances, it is not easy to reinforce power through external blood transfusions. The "hope" that the Lotte Giants can lean on the most is the revival of Yoo Kang-nam and Roh Jin-hyuk.토토사이트
According to the total amount of the top 40 players in the top 10 KBO League teams in 2024 announced by KBO on the 18th, Lotte spent 11.15 billion won. This year, the upper limit of the competition balance tax was 11.426.38 billion won.
The KBO League's competitive balance tax system was decided by the board of directors in January 2020 and was also introduced from 2023. It was the result of the argument that a competitive balance tax is needed to level the league's power and remove the bubble in the ransom of players who are soaring every year.
The KBO board of directors confirmed the upper limit at KRW 11.426.38 billion, 120% of the club's annual average, which adds up the amount of the top 40 players in each club's annual salary (salary, actual payment of options, and annual average down payment for FA, excluding foreign and rookie players).
KBO initially decided to maintain the upper limit of the competition balance tax of 11.42 billion won until 2025. However, in consideration of inflation, the board of directors raised the upper limit of the competition balance tax for next year to 20 percent and raised it to 13.7 billion won in July.
However, Lotte had no time to consider a surplus of 2.6 billion won (2.7 million U.S. dollars) in competition balance tax. It spent a lot of money, holding closer Kim Won-joong, who was an internal FA (free agent), and setup man Koo Seung-min, at the conditions of up to 5.4 billion won (4.1 million dollars), respectively, and up to 2.1 billion won (2.5 million dollars), respectively, over the next two years.
On top of that, Lotte is in a situation where the salaries of its young players who showed stellar performance in the 2024 season will skyrocket. Yoon Dong-hee who received 90 million won (approx. Na Seung-yeop who received 40 million won), Ko Seung-min who received 80 million won (approx. Son Ho-young, the hero of the "trading success" and Hwang Sung-bin who received 76 million won (approx. All five players are certain to make it to 100 million won (approx. Lotte's surplus in competition balance tax will inevitably decrease.
For this reason, it was difficult for Lotte to recruit outside free agents in the Stove League. It is also clear why it had no choice but to watch Ahn Chi-hong, an internal free agent last year, leave for the Hanwha Eagles without having a proper negotiation.
Until the 2022 season, An Chi-hong accounted for a significant portion of Lotte's infield. Although Ahn's defense range has become narrower than before, he was an essential player at Lotte not only for hitting but also for leadership. However, he failed to block An from transferring to Hanwha due to the issue of a cap on the balance tax on competition.
Ahn Chi-hong's vacancy was resolved by the explosion of promising players Ko Seung-min and Na Seung-yeop, but the problem is next. Shortstop and bullpen issues, which are considered Lotte's weaknesses, cannot be solved by recruiting external FA due to the problem of competitive balance tax.
In the aftermath of the signing of large FA contracts, including catcher Yoo Kang-nam (up to 8 billion won for four years), infielder Noh Jin-hyuk (up to 5 billion won for four years), and pitcher Han Hyun-hee (3+1 year, up to 4 billion won), which Lotte recruited after the 2022 season is over, there is not much room for competitive balance tax.
The 2026 KBO League FA market is full of resources that Lotte can covet. KIA Tigers shortstop Park Chan-ho, outfielder Choi Won-joon, pitcher Cho Sang-woo, Doosan Bears pitcher Lee Young-ha, KT Wiz batter Kang Baek-ho and SSG Landers pitcher Seo Jin-yong are the potential FA players.
The problem is not the live ammunition but the upper limit of the competition balance tax. Unless LG Twins makes a commitment to surpass the upper limit, it would be hard to dream of recruiting a large free agent.
If the upper limit of the equal competition tax is exceeded, 50 percent of the excess will be paid to the Baseball Development Fund. If the excess is exceeded twice in a row, 100 percent of the excess will be paid to the Baseball Development Fund. In addition, the number of first-round nominations for the following year will fall by nine levels. If the excess is exceeded three times in a row, 150 percent of the excess will be paid to the Baseball Development Fund, and the number of first-round nominations for the following year will fall by nine levels.