SSG Landers is in the process of replacing foreign pitcher Annie Romero. As SSG coach Kim Won-hyung sent an ‘official sign’, it is expected that all efforts will be made to recruit a replacement foreign pitcher.
메이저놀이터 One of SSG’s biggest concerns at the beginning of this season is the vacancy of Romero. Romero, who was ambitiously recruited with a total of 1 million dollars, was diagnosed with shoulder impingement syndrome during a spring camp practice game and dropped out of the season preparation process. Not to mention the opening rotation of the regular season, even the start of the demonstration game was unsuccessful.
In the end, the SSG team decided it was too late to wait for Romero, who had recently traveled to the United States and started treatment. With the foreign scouting part already in motion since March, the search for a replacement player to replace Romero has been formalized.
Head coach Kim Won-hyeong met with reporters ahead of the Suwon KT WIZ match on April 18 and said, “Romero has gone to the United States for treatment. He has nothing special to say, but he seems to have to prepare for another replacement pitcher,” he said, revealing his replacement move.
Romero is more likely to leave the KBO league stage without throwing a single ball in a single game. In fact, since the announcement of the recruitment of Romero, there have been many questions about durability. In addition, since Romero’s guaranteed amount is $800,000, it is bound to be a painful bleeding from the SSG club’s point of view. Still, rather than waiting for Romero’s shoulder to recover, recruiting a new foreign pitcher became a more realistic option.
Manager Kim said, “Even if Romero can throw the ball again, he needs at least one month to rebuild his body. In addition, considering the step of increasing the number of balls by starting the second team, the time it takes to return is too long. He emphasized, “Even if it is a difficult time to obtain, it is time to find another alternative.”
Even with the domestic starters, there is room for rotation, which is fortunate for SSG. In addition to Kim Gwang-hyun, Oh Won-seok, Moon Seung-won, and Park Jong-hun, Song Young-jin, who showed a surprising performance, can be digested in the starting rotation.
Manager Kim said, “It is fortunate that the number of starters working well enough so that I can not think impatiently. He should go in the direction of being recognized as the best pitcher possible. However, the basics should be there. Even if the pitch does not work on the major league stage, there is a possibility that it will work well in the KBO League if you have basic control, changing balls, and game management skills.”
SSG played a big role in recruiting substitute foreign pitcher Sean Morimando in the process of achieving a wire-to-wire unified championship in the 2022 season. Although he left a disappointing pitch in the Korean Series, this is why Morimando added a lot of strength in the second half race to win the regular season. This is the current situation of SSG, which has just begun drawing another alternative foreign pitcher success scenario like the case of Morimando.