The two long-haired pitchers representing Busan have disappeared. Kim Won-joong has a haircut, and Aaron Wilkerson is leaving.
Wilkerson is the only pitcher who skipped the starting rotation at any one of the 10 teams this year. He has acquired the honor of having played the most games (32 ⅔) and innings (196 games). He is the hero of the shutout victory (against KIA in Gwangju on June 4) that he played only four times in the KBO league in the 2024 season.
Although there were signs of shaking at the beginning and the end of the season, Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung has repeatedly praised the starting pitcher, saying, "The biggest virtue of a starting pitcher is not to skip the rotation without any major injuries." He also has a mind to work with his colleagues enough to insist on taking the mound even when the manager said, "It's okay to rest" at a time when autumn baseball has already been frustrated.
Compliments during the season and evaluations after the season are different. Lotte put Wilkerson on the hold list and agonized over whether to renew the contract to the end.
Consequently, Lotte has agreed to renew contract with Charlie Barnes for four years (1.5 million U.S. dollars in total and 1.35 million dollars in guarantees), but opted to separate from Wilkerson. Lotte signed a contract with new foreign pitcher Tucker Davidson for a total of 950,000 dollars (guaranteed 850,000 dollars). Including Reyes, who signed a new contract for 202 hits, the team has finalized its formation of foreign players next year.
It's not about money. Wilkerson is challenging himself to enter the Major League and has already failed once in the Japanese professional baseball league.
That is why he was more desperate for Korea. He joined the team as an outsider during the 2023 season and quickly secured his contract renewal.
However, Lotte had deep concerns. Wilkerson is a player who clearly has strengths and weaknesses. While it is good to see him throw a ball into the strike zone without a walk, he is not a pitcher who overwhelms opponents. Compared to the prejudice that his ball power is weak, his number of strikeouts (5th, 167th) was higher, but his number of hits (270 percent, 6th), number of homers (18th), and slugging percentage (3994, 8th) were also higher.
Another problem is Wilkerson's age, which will be okay no matter when he loses. He played nearly 200 innings this season and will turn 36 next year. There were also question marks over his adjustment to the pitch clock system that will be introduced from the next season. As he gave up "Sajik Monster" and lowered the fence to 4.8 meters, anxiety over Wilkerson, a "flying pitcher," has grown.
Lotte has been frustrated at the threshold of fall baseball for seven consecutive years. In order to take it to the next level, it wanted to set variables rather than renew all three foreign players. As Barnes decided to renew the contract, Lotte gave up Wilkerson and decided to recruit Davidson.
Davidson is considered a somewhat adventurous recruit. It is all the more so because he is the opposite of Wilkerson, the epitome of stability.
He has not had much experience in the Major League. He has played in 56 games (17 starts) in 129 ⅔ innings, 4 wins, 10 losses and 5.76 ERA. When he was with the Atlanta Braves in 2021, he made a surprise start in the World Series (five games, two innings, four runs). Atlanta won the title of "Understanding," and as a result, Davidson was given the title ring.
The advantage is that he has played more than 600 innings in 142 games in the minor league and has spent his career mainly as a starter.
He has made many changes in pitching mechanisms this season. "He has high RBIs and good deception. He has the ability to throw by controlling various pitches," Lotte said.
Manager Kim Tae-hyung is not a pitcher with strong ball power like Nippert, Alcantara, or Miranda, who he worked with during his time at Doosan. However, some say that if he adapts well considering changes in official balls and leagues, there is room for him to speed up his pitches. 메이저사이트
Lotte has established a "left-handed-left-handed" foreign pitcher system for the first time in seven years since Reilly-Dubront in 2018.