For the third year in a row, the Hanwha Eagles of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) have signed an outside free agent, this time speedy shortstop Shim Woo-jun (29).
Hanwha officially announced the signing of free agent infielder Shim Woo-jun on July 7. It’s a four-year deal worth up to 5 billion won. It includes 4.2 billion won in guaranteed money and an option for 800 million won.
This is the third consecutive year Hanwha has bolstered its roster with an outside free agent signing. After filling up its roster after the 2022 season with first baseman Chae Eun-sung, pitcher Lee Tae-yang, and infielder Oh Sun-jin, Hanwha also added infielder Ahn Chi-hong last year. This year, the team made a big splash by signing Shim Woo-joon for the third consecutive year.
Shim, a right-handed hitting infielder from Gyeonggi High School, joined KT in the 2014 second round with the 14th overall pick. He made his first-team debut in 2015 and has played more than 100 games in every season except 2023 and 2024, when he served in the military.
In nine seasons,
He has a career record of 1072 games (2862 hits, 726 runs), 31 home runs, 275 RBI, 403 runs scored, 190 walks, 526 strikeouts, 156 stolen bases, a .303 on-base percentage, .336 slugging percentage, .639 OPS, and a 78.8% stolen base rate.
In a statement, Hanwha said, “With the addition of Woo-Joon Shim, we are able to strengthen our infield depth by securing a stable shortstop with the quick feet and operational skills we are looking for in the field.
“Woo-joon has the ability to play more than 100 games a season, and with his steady and reliable defense, he has the ability to become the mainstay of our center field next season,” 파워볼사이트 said Hanwha manager Son Hyuk. ”With the introduction of the pitch clock next year, he will be able to put pressure on the opposing pitcher when he is on base, which will help the team in various ways.”
Shim is also determined to use his strengths in defense and base running to help the team achieve its goal of becoming a prestigious club.
“I am sincerely grateful to the Hanwha Eagles for their good evaluation,” said Shim. ”As a free agent player, I will take on greater responsibilities as I join the Hanwha Eagles squad, and I will do my best on the field to help the team win more games.”
Hanwha has been led by Lee Do-yoon at shortstop this year.
Ha Joo-seok started the opening game but left with a hamstring injury, opening the door for rookie Hwang Young-mook. Since June, when Hwang moved to second base, Lee hasn’t done too badly at shortstop, and even after Ha returned from injury, he remained in the starting lineup.
But the team needed a better player in the field, and they quickly connected with Shim Woo-joon, who was on the free agent market. After releasing Ha Joo-suk as an internal free agent, the team focused on signing an external free agent. Above all, the fact that he had quick feet, which Hanwha lacked, was a decisive factor in his signing. Despite the arrival of Kim Kyung-moon, a manager who emphasizes fast baseball, Hanwha ranked ninth in team stolen bases (69) and 10th in success rate (62.7%) last season.
Shim, meanwhile, is a Class B free agent, meaning Hanwha must compensate KT for one compensatory player outside of the 25-man roster and either 100% of the previous year’s salary or 200% of the previous year’s salary. Shim’s salary this year is 290 million won, so KT can receive 290 million won in compensation with a compensatory player or 580 million won without a compensatory player.