Veteran Lee Myeong-gi (36), who was lost as a free agent, belatedly found a new team through signing and trading. His agent, who delayed his honeymoon at the end of last year due to Lee Myung-gi’s non-contract, shed tears after the final contract was signed.
Hanwha and NC announced the trade on the 14th. Free agent Lee Myung-ki signed a contract with the original team NC for up to 100 million won (50 million won in salary, 50 million won in options) for a year and was traded to Hanwha along with catcher Lee Jae-yong. Hanwha was a condition to give infielder Cho Hyun-jin and the 7th round of the 2024 rookie draft to NC.
Along with Lee Myung-gi, his agent, Lee Ye-rang, the CEO of Ricoh Agency, finally put down the burden of their hearts.
CEO Lee Ye-rang got married at the end of last year. But he couldn’t go on his honeymoon. It is because Lee Myung-ki and Han Hyun-hee among the players in the team were not under contract. In particular, Lee Myung-gi, a C-class player who had decided on a sign & trade policy early on in the NC club, caught the eye the most.
Lee Myung-gi, who obtained his first FA qualification after 17 years of joining in 2006, was ignored in the FA market despite a career batting average of 30% and a C grade that did not require player compensation.
Hanwha and NC finally agreed on Lee Myung-gi’s trade late on the 13th, and it was officially announced on the morning of the 14th. CEO Lee Ye-rang said after the trade agreement, “I cried because it was so good.”
Earlier this off-season, CEO Lee Ye-rang signed large contracts with Yang Eui-ji (6 years, 15.2 billion won), Yoo Kang-nam (4 years, 8 billion won), and Park Se-hyeok (4 years, 4.6 billion won). Lee Myung-gi was the last member of the team.
The terms of Lee Myung-gi’s contract are not good. He has a guaranteed annual salary of 50 million won, which is the minimum annual salary. He has an option of 50 million won, which depends on how many games he participates in and improves his performance this season. 토토사이트
Representative Lee Ye-rang said, “I had a strong will to continue playing, and it is more important that I can continue my career as a player.”
Regarding Lee Myung-ki, coach Subero Hanwha said, “He was a good impression as NC’s second hitter. In the meantime, we’ve had the most young players in the league get opportunities. Now is the time to prepare for a competitive level within the league. The message of this trade is clear. It means that you have to overcome through competition to have your own place.”
Lee Myung-gi joined SK in the 2nd 8th round in 2006 with the 63rd overall rank, and after debuting in the 1st team in 2008, he was traded to KIA in 2017 and NC in 2019 and played 13 seasons. He has a career batting average of 3.7, 1097 hits, 28 homers, 321 RBIs and 107 stolen bases in 1019 games.
In July 2021, he was suspended from a business trip for violating the corona broadcasting rules, and his performance in 2021 and 2022 was poor. He appeared in 94 games last year and recorded a batting average of 2.6, 0 home runs and 23 RBIs.