Where Will Pro-Baseball FAs Go?

We are back in the “hot stove league,” in which teams flock to recruit other players, trade their own, or get them signed on for another year after the season.

It is heating up even more as a number of “big fish” are set loose in the free agent (FA) market.

There are a total of 17 eligible FAs in professional baseball this season. Disregarding existing ones, there are nine new FAs.

The players in the spotlight are the ones from Hyundai and Samsung who went head-to-head in the Korean Series this year. Hyundai let off “Hercules” Shim Jung-soo, 26, and “Second Kim Jae-bahk” Park Jin-mahn, 28. From Samsung, “Invincible” Lim Chang-yong, 28, and “Immovable Third Base” Kim Han-soo, 33, are out on the FA market.

Already settled is Shim Jung-soo leaving Hyundai. Hyundai has always had its mind set on holding on to either Shim Jung-soo or Park Jin-mahn. Shim had trouble with the team this year because of frequent time off due to his knee injury, and with his 600 million won salary, Shim is a big leaguer beyond the means of Hyundai. Nothing is said up front, but it is anyone’s guess that Hyundai is already inclined for Park, who has won the heart of Manager Kim Jae-bahk.

Over a phone call, Shim said on November 3 that “Japan is out of question. I would rather stay put than having to play in Japan where mercenaries are not given much of a chance.” Shim, who has John Kim of the SFX in the United States as his agent, hinted that he would stay in Korea if the reception is less than expected, saying, “There are a couple of places in the U.S. that I’m interested in. But the terms will have to be right.”

If that is the case, Samsung will be the first to send a love call to Shim as the team is in a desperate need of a fourth batter. For Lim Chang-yong, who is looking to go overseas, Japan seems to be a better prospect than the U.S. The Yomiuri Giants has been attractive to Lim, a sidearm pitcher who clocks at 150 km/s, since last year. Some even say “the deal is already done.”

Meanwhile, for Kim Han-soo, Kim Jae-hyun of LG, and Shim Jae-hahk of Kia, who contributed tremendously to the team, it is expected that their teams will put on a fight to keep them.

Sang-Soo Kim ssoo@donga.com