Seoul: In November last year, just two seasons after winning the top rookie prize in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), reliever Jeong Cheol-won was traded by the Doosan Bears to the Lotte Giants in a five-player deal. The Bears parted ways with the 25-year-old after just one challenging season in 2024, where he recorded a career-worst 6.40 ERA and walked 26 batters in only 32 1/3 innings. Despite these statistics, Jeong emphasized on Tuesday that he holds no resentment over the move.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Jeong expressed his mindset before the Giants played the Kiwoom Heroes in a preseason game at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. “I won’t be trying extra hard just because I am facing the Doosan Bears,” he stated. “Throughout my career, I’ve always approached opposing hitters the same way, whether they hit in the middle or in the bottom of their lineup. Whether I pitch against the Bears or some other team, I will regard every hitter as a dangerous one and try to pitch as well as I can.”
However, with a bit more probing, Jeong admitted there is one Bears hitter he is particularly eager to face-slugging first baseman Yang Suk-hwan. “The fastball is my best pitch, and Suk-hwan is a great fastball hitter,” Jeong remarked. “If I face him and we have a big enough lead, then I will challenge him with nothing but fastballs. I won’t be giving him any breaking balls.”
The Giants’ first regular-season game against the Bears is scheduled for April 4, but Jeong already had the chance to pitch against them in an unofficial scrimmage last month in Japan. He reminisced about the unusual feeling of seeing his former teammates. “Obviously, those guys know me pretty well,” Jeong added. “So I have to be well prepared against them. They are in the postseason every year, and if I can help us beat the Bears throughout the season, that will put the Lotte Giants in a pretty high spot in the standings, too.”
The key player moving to the Bears in the trade was outfielder Kim Min-suk, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 KBO draft. The Giants were perceived as offloading the 20-year-old Kim, who had struggled to build on a promising rookie season in 2023. However, both teams seemed to benefit from the trade, addressing immediate and long-term needs. The Giants bolstered their bullpen, while the Bears acquired a young, athletic outfielder with demonstrated bat-to-ball skills.
In preseason performances, both Jeong and Kim showcased their potential. Jeong struck out five batters in three innings across three games, allowing only one unearned run. Kim impressed the Bears’ management with his .333 batting average (10-for-30) and four RBIs in nine games, along with his unexpected outfield defense. Jeong conveyed his understanding of the trade, saying, “I understand why the Lotte Giants brought me here, even if it meant shipping out such a talented player. I want to make our fans say our bullpen has become so much stronger because I am on the team.”