As of January 4, Doosan is the only team among the 10 KBO League teams to complete salary negotiations in 2025. Some key players are tied up by free agent contracts, but they are still completing negotiations at a very rapid pace and aiming for 2025.토토사이트
What stands out most in Doosan's salary negotiations is the progress of young players. Although the team's performance was a bit disappointing, you can realize that young players performed well in 2024. Doosan also evaluated such a ball relatively generously and quickly concluded the salary negotiations.
Kwak Bin, the team's ace player, has risen by 170 million won (171 million U.S. dollars) or 81 percent from 210 million won (216,000 dollars) in 2024 to 380 million won (321,000 dollars) in 2025. Kim Taek-yeon, who won the Rookie of the Year award after being promoted to the closing pitcher with stellar performance in the bullpen in 2024, has signed a contract worth 140 million won (120,000 dollars), up 110 million won (366.7 percent) from 30 million won (30,000 dollars). He has rewritten his second-year KBO league record.
Lee Byung-hun, a left-hander who struggled hard in the bullpen, renewed his contract at 130 million won (130 million U.S. dollars), up 94 million won (261.1 percent) from 36 million won (36 million dollars), and has entered into a mega-annual salary. Choi Ji-gang, who also contributed greatly to the bullpen last year, concluded the negotiations at 95 million won (653,000 dollars), up 61 million won (179.4 percent) from 34 million won (31 million dollars). Both Kim Ki-yeon (110 million won) and Lee Yoo-chan (150 million won) have become payers, while Kang Seung-ho (370 million won) and Cho Ha-haeng (200 million won) have significantly increased their salaries.
On the contrary, as veteran players have left the team, it is time to accelerate the generational change. The team's left infielders, who had been guarding the team's left field for a long time, left the team due to different circumstances. Heo Kyung-min moved to KT after exercising his second free agent status, and Kim Jae-ho retired after the end of the season. The infield of the Doosan Dynasty, which led to Heo Kyung-min, Kim Jae-ho, Oh Jae-won, Oh Jae-il, and Oh Jae-il, disappeared into history. Kim Kang-ryul, a veteran of the bullpen, also became an FA and signed a contract with LG to leave the team.
Of course, veteran players such as Yang Eui-ji and Kim Jae-hwan are still in the team. Gradually, however, it is a stage where the core of the team's power is transferred to players who have not experienced the dynasty well rather than the leaders of the dynasty. In order for Doosan to become a sustainable and strong team, how to connect them is very important. If young players have meaningful experiences under the leadership of veterans, their legacy will follow. If not, it will be cut off.
This is why Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop is drawing keen attention in 2025, which marks the last year of his contract. Lee has been at the center of the spotlight by signing a three-year contract with Doosan in a surprise move ahead of the 2023 season. It was also unusual that he did not have a big relationship with Doosan, and most of all, his success or failure attracted great attention in that he immediately took the helm without having to go through other leadership positions such as coaches.
So far, analysts say that both teams have advanced to the postseason, but failed to advance further. The team failed to win the invitation to a proper autumn baseball game as it failed to pass the wild card game in both 2023 and 2024. In 2024, Lee bowed his head as a scapegoat for the first time in the history of the wild card game system. It is true that 2024 was a time when foreign pitchers suffered a tight injury. Apart from that, fans strongly criticized Lee's performance and management of the team over the past two years.
Regardless of the club's internal evaluation or trust in Lee, some predict that this year's performance will be very important to Lee's leadership career and the club's direction. Even if the club's internal trust is strong, it is burdensome to sign an extension contract at a time when the performance is not coming out. On the other hand, Doosan has a desperate need to work when veterans in their mid and late 30s are in good shape due to the current structure of the team. It is difficult to predict how long it will take for the team to reorganize if it misses this timing with one to two years left. It seems clear that a very important year is opening for Doosan.