There were no more big deals.
The Choi Won-Tae trade closes the door on the transfer market. With the July 31 trade deadline having passed, the player exchange market for the 2023 postseason is now closed. Trades can still be made in August. However, players registered after that date will not be eligible to play in the postseason.
On July 29, the LG Twins and Kiwoom Heroes completed a three-way trade of right-hander Choi Won-tae (26) for infielder Lee Ju-hyung (22), pitcher Kim Dong-gyu (19), and a 2024 first-round rookie pick. LG succeeded in bolstering its homegrown starting lineup, which was its biggest weakness. Kiwoom acquired a bunch of prospect cards to look forward to next year and beyond.
The problem was after the big deal. LG’s fortunes took a turn for the worse.
That’s when LG president Cha Myung-seok took to the team’s YouTube channel to hint at the possibility of more trades.
“Trades are always open,” Cha said. If a request comes in, we have to listen,” Cha said. “Before this trade, there is one more team that requested it. I don’t know if I should do it or not…” He hesitated, then added, “I’m thinking it’s almost over now,” weighing in on the possibility of a closure.
There were no additional big deals that garnered interest until the last minute.
There’s only one way to bolster the roster left: free agency. Teams with postseason aspirations have until Aug. 15 to make a roster move. After August 16, any additional players signed will not be eligible to play in fall baseball.
That’s just over a month away. But even then, we don’t see much movement.
It’s been an incredibly competitive season. Many teams played their replacement cards early. KIA, Lotte, Hanwha, Kiwoom, and others have already used up their two replacement cards.
Only #1 LG, #4 NC, and #10 Samsung have not used their foreign replacement cards.
There has been some speculation about replacing Kelly, who was not as good as last year, but LG is not willing to take any risks.
In the second game of the second half, at Doosan on the 28th, he won his ace matchup against Alcantara with seven innings of two-run ball, reinforcing the bench’s belief in him. 7-6 with a 4.53 ERA. Not great, but I’m hoping for a strong second half from Kelly.
NC is worried about their second starter, Widener. He’s been on a roll. 메이저놀이터
Since returning from injury, he is 3-2 with a 4.94 ERA in 10 games. His consistency is disappointing. In his latest appearance, on the 28th against KT, he rebounded with 6 innings and 2 runs, keeping his hopes alive.
Having completed the strongest outfield trio of Buchanan-Suarez-Pirela last year, Samsung is playing the season with unwavering confidence in the three players, although not as much as last year.