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KT WIZ head coach Lee Kang-cheol defended Park Byung-ho (Samsung Lions) to the end.
“He must be very sad to be traded to Samsung, but I hope he gets a lot of opportunities at Samsung and does well,” Lee said of Park Byung-ho, who was traded to Samsung after the visiting Doosan Bears in the 2024 KBO Baseball World Series at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on Monday.
“I hope it will be a good trade for Park Byung-ho and Oh Jae-il,” he said, adding, “Oh Jae-il will think about how to utilize him after joining the team.”
“Left-hander Oh Jae-il is a big bat with a different style than (right-hander) Park Byung-ho,” he said, adding, “He and Moon Sang-chul could be used in rotation while working on their physical fitness.”
Park Byung-ho, who has been underperforming this season, recently requested a transfer from the club as his starting opportunities dwindled.
KT tried to convince him to change his mind, but he was adamant.
In particular, he reportedly demanded to be released (waived) on the 27th.
It was an unfortunate situation for manager Lee Kang-cheol, who had been using Park Byung-ho.
Lee has always trusted his proven veteran players and respected their wishes, giving them plenty of playing time even when they were in a slump.
Some people even said that Lee Kang-cheol was too protective of his veteran players.
Lee gave Park consistent playing time when he joined KT in 2022 and kept him in the center of the batting order even when he was in a slump.
This season, he had no choice. KT, a favorite to win the championship, fell to the bottom of the standings early in 먹튀검증 the season due to a string of pitching injuries, and Byung-ho was batting in the teens until March.
In the meantime, Moon Sang-cheol, who had been filling in as a pinch-hitter, was hitting big in every game he played. Naturally, Moon's starts increased.
Coach Lee Kang-cheol had hoped to revitalize Park Byung-ho through competition, but it didn't work out that way.
Park announced his intention to leave the team, citing a lack of playing time, and the entire process became public knowledge.
Coach Lee Kang-cheol hid his pain ahead of the team's match against Doosan on the 28th, the day Park's request for release became public.
Lee avoided answering a question about Park Byung-ho, but when asked if he had considered the veteran players too much, he replied, “Because they helped me a lot...”
Lee Kang-cheol was heartbroken, but decided to let Park Byung-ho go.
On the afternoon of the 28th, KT contacted other teams and matched trade cards, and Samsung, which needed a big hitter, responded, and a one-for-one trade was completed.
KT and Samsung announced the trade right after the game on the 28th, and in the end, KT said goodbye to Park Byung-ho.
It was a heartbreaking parting, but Lee Kang-cheol supported Byung-ho until the end.
Only four players were guaranteed a secure future.
“United have decided to listen to offers for all but Andre Onana, Kobi Mainu, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Höjlund,” said Samuel Lukust, a reporter covering Manchester United for the Manchester Evening News in the United Kingdom. “However, according to sources, United are not expected to sell many players as they are struggling to find suitable replacements,” he added.
Last season, United achieved modest results under Eric ten Haag. This season, they've set their sights even higher, but the reality is cold. United were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) after finishing bottom of their group and were revengefully beaten by Newcastle United in the English Football League Cup (EFL Cup). They finished sixth in the Premier League (PL), failing to qualify for the UCL, and are not guaranteed a spot in the UEFA Europa League (UEL). In the English FA Cup, they did make it to the final, but their opponent was defending champions Manchester City.
United has had a disappointing season. They're looking to make changes for the new season. New owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is looking to rebuild the club and will be changing everything from the manager to the squad.
The position of existing players has also been affected. According to Lukust, United are willing to listen to offers for all but Onana, Mainu, Garnacho and Hojelin. This means that ace 토토 Bruno Fernandes and veterans Casemiro and Christian Eriksen could also be sold.
The future of €100 million man Anthony is also uncertain. Anthony has been in the United shirt for two seasons now, but he hasn't lived up to his transfer fee. Last season, he played over 40 games, including cup competitions, but only managed eight goals and three assists, and this season he hasn't scored a goal in the league for seven or eight months. Luckily, he scored against Burnley last time out, but it wasn't enough to secure the win as they conceded a late goal.
There are many other players whose futures are uncertain. Mason Mount, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Marcus Rashford, Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire, and others who joined the club this season but have since been dropped.