Even in the absence of a single foreign pitcher, the special management of prospects was effective. Even in the worst of circumstances, he did not break his principles.
Hanwha made two important decisions ahead of the match against Doosan in Daejeon on the 19th. Foreign pitcher Birch Smith (33), who voluntarily suffered from shoulder pain in the opening game, was released, and Moon Dong-ju (20), who emerged as an ace, was decided to be excluded from the first team entry for physical condition management.
Smith’s release is a very painful thing for Hanwha. 안전놀이터It was the first starting resource with an investment of $1 million (guaranteed $800,000) for new foreign players, but the risk of injury, which was a concern from the time of recruitment, did not know that it would explode from the opening game. Smith’s KBO League career ended with 60 pitches in 2⅔ innings in the match against Gocheok Kiwoom on the 1st, which was the opening game.
Last year, Hanwha had the pain of ruining the season by wasting two months waiting for foreign pitchers Nick Kingham and Ryan Carpenter, who left due to injury in mid-April. It was a waste of money invested, but I couldn’t afford to wait for Smith. There were no major abnormalities in the results of the two checkups, but Smith, who postponed the return schedule, was released without any regrets anymore.
It is expected that a replacement foreign pitcher will be able to join within this month at the earliest. Still, the opening month of April must be spent without a single foreign pitcher. Prospect Nam Ji-min entered the starting rotation without Smith, but he is showing ups and downs.
Native ace Kim Min-woo, who pitched the most innings for the past two years, is also slow at the beginning of this season. That is why it is surprising that Hanhwa, which has no room in the starting lineup, excluded Mun Dong-ju, who is not sick, from the first team roster. Moon Dong-ju is recording a team-high 16⅔ innings in three games this year, with a 1-1 loss, 1.08 ERA, and 18 strikeouts.
Even though it was early in the season, Hanwha, which fell behind in 9th place (5 wins, 9 losses, 1 draw), needs to use a better pitcher at least once. Even in a situation where grades are urgent, the front desk and the field agreed to protect promising prospects and adhere to the special management principles.
Regarding the exclusion of Moon Dong-ju from the entry, Hanwha coach Carlos Subero said, “Since spring camp, we have made a management plan to take a break after starting the first three games. Moon Dong-ju has shown a strong image so far, but he is still young and has a lot more to show in the future. It is also your role as a leader to help you show that side of yourself more. I will have to see the situation, but there will be a schedule to take a break once in a while like this,” foreshadowing thorough management. In the big picture, he plans to limit 120 to 125 innings.
Moon Dong-ju also said, “I will do it according to the given situation. While he was canceled from the entry, he said, “I will make up for the lacking parts and prepare well for the day of throwing again.” Moon Dong-ju is scheduled to return to Daejeon NC on the 29th after taking a break for just 10 days. By skipping the rotation once, he will be selected as a substitute before Daejeon LG on the 23rd. Coach Subero said, “The replacement selection has not been decided yet.”