Lim Chan-kyu and Jang Min-jae signed their first contract this month 11 out of 19 haven't found their team yet

Pitchers Lim Chan-kyu 31 and Jang Min-jae 33 have agreed to accompany their teams, the LG Twins and the Hanwha Eagles, respectively. It is the first news of free agency in December, and the first signing of the contract in 21 days since Yang Seok-hwan Doosan Bears on April 30.

This year's stove league has been particularly quiet compared to previous years. Due to the influence of the salary cap, which was first implemented this time, clubs seem to be cautious about FA contracts.

The LG Twins announced on the 21st that they signed a four-year contract with FA Lim Chan-kyu for a total of 5 billion won. They also signed a multi-year contract worth 12.4 billion won 12.4 billion U.S. dollars, which they agreed on early in January. Hanwha Eagles also signed a 2+1 year contract with Jang Min-jae for a total of 800 million won. As a result, eight out of 19 FA applicants signed the contract. Eleven players are still looking for their teams. This is in contrast to last winter, when more than two-thirds of the team decided their destinations until mid-December.

Baseball officials cite salary cap as the reason for the slow contract signing. Ahead of the 2023 season, KBO applied an upper limit of 11.4 billion won 10.24 million U.S. dollars, 120 percent of the team's annual average, to the top 40 players per year annual salary, option actual payment, and FA annual down payment among players excluding foreign players and rookies. Violation penalties are also significant. Violations in the second and third innings will be fined 100 percent and 150 percent, respectively, and the order of rookie draft picks will also be lowered. It is too much of a burden to open the wallet prematurely. For baseball teams, catching "verified" rabbits has become a priority rather than outside FA.

No club has exceeded the upper limit this year. Last year, three teams crossed the benchmark line, but this year, they were thoroughly prepared. "There was a case where they paid a lot of salaries for a specific year to meet the salary cap this year," a club official said. "This year, I think the salary cap is definitely a big impact." Another club official B also said, "The contract is difficult due to the salary cap," adding, "It seems necessary to supplement the system even at a comprehensive level." 스포츠토토