Eric Peddy (30NC) was the best player in the KBO League in 2023. This is evidenced by the MVP award, which is recognized by many others. He has demonstrated what fantastic results can be achieved when a talent, which had been considered one of the best in the Major League since childhood, adapts to the league through desperate self-improvement.
He pitched 180 ⅓s in 30 games and recorded 20 wins, 6 losses, 2.00 ERA and 209 strikeouts, achieving a “triple crown” in the history of foreign players in the KBO League. The on-field evaluation was better than his performance. Everyone looked in awe at him, saying, “Here’s the greatest foreign player of all time.” He had good personality and good adaptation to the team, which enabled him to finish the season with the best performance ever.
NC is poised to rob what it has in order to catch Fedi. The annual salary cap for foreign players in the KBO League is basically 4 million dollars. For every player’s annual leave accumulated, 100,000 dollars will be added. In other words, NC will be able to spend 4.1 million dollars next year on three foreign players under the assumption that NC will catch Fedi. NC is presumed to have offered multi-year contracts with annual salary of more than 2 million dollars. NC is doing the best it can under realistic circumstances. 안전놀이터
It is known that Peddy’s side fully understood the situation of the NC Dinosaurs but replied to the NC Dinosaurs by asking for time for now. Returning to the Major League is a priority. Peddy, who made a splendid appearance in the Major League after being drafted by Washington in the first round (18th overall), debuted in the big league in 2017 and played in 102 games (88 starts) in total, winning 21 games. He chose to go to Korea temporarily due to sluggish performance last year, but his eyes are on the Major League after all.
It is known that Peddy is already drawing attention from Major League Baseball teams. After the Major League Winter Meetings, which began on Monday (Korea time), the outline of the biggest leaguers in the free agent market and the biggest leaguers in the trade market is expected to be revealed. Peddy has since been selected as a representative player who can seek a niche market. Some raise the possibility of 10 million U.S. dollars as the first guaranteed total in the history of retro-exporting foreign pitchers in the KBO league. Some predict that this is possible considering the recent market price of Major League pitchers.
NC, however, is not the only one facing such concern. Lotte, which is considered “next door” in terms of geography, is on the verge of facing similar concern. Lotte, which entered Winnow mode by recruiting “winning contractor” Kim Tae-hyung, plans to catch both Charlie Barnes (28) and Aaron Wilkerson (34) who played well this year. In fact, Wilkerson made the goal of renewing his contract early on. Although the two players’ performances are not as S-class as Peddy’s, it is believed that it is difficult to find such players considering the supply and demand in the Major League pitcher market. Some players choose stability rather than adventure.
The problem is Barnes. Since joining Lotte in 2022, Barnes has displayed outstanding performances in the KBO League, recording 23 wins, 22 losses and an ERA of 3.46 in 61 games over the two seasons. He pitched 186 ⅓ innings last year and 170 ⅓ this year, all without any major injuries, which is another plus point. Although he was in a crisis due to sluggish performance in the first half of this year, he rebounded sharply with six wins, four losses and an ERA of 2.05 in 14 games in the second half, solidifying his intention to renew his contract. There are pitchers in the market who have more splendid experience and high scores than Barnes. However, Barnes has also been proven to be a good fit player.
However, Barnes is also known to be prioritizing his advance to the Major League. Barnes was also a player who drew attention from Major League scouts until midway through last year. He was young and competitive enough to throw many innings. “Rather than seeing Barnes as a full-time starter, he is more likely to be used as a long-release player who puts the strength of left-handed hitters ahead of others,” an agent said at the time. “You can think of Brooks Raley, who is currently a middle-ranked player in the Major League.”
John Morosi, a panel member of Major League Baseball’s network and one of the major league’s leading sources, also said on the 3rd, “Former Minnesota player Charlie Barnes became an FA after spending two seasons with the Lotte Giants in the KBO League. He recorded a 3.28 ERA in 30 starts this year,” adding, “Lotte is considered to have a strong interest in renewing his contract with him, but since he is an official FA player, major league teams are expected to show interest.”
In fact, Barnes is known to have been waiting for possible offers from major league teams until recently. There are some differences in the basic salary negotiations themselves, but the situation has become more complicated due to the involvement of Major League variables. Some also see it as a matter of Barnes’ will. It is an appropriate age to challenge the return to the Major League, and if this takes precedence, he will be able to leave Korea even under worse conditions than Lotte.
On the other hand, some predict that Barnes will be treated better than expected, citing the increasingly poor pitcher market in the Major League. Lotte is also known to have prepared an alternative in preparation for Barnes’ failure to renew his contract, and some predict that it will take a little more time to reach a conclusion. There is a possibility that Lotte will also wait and see the deadline set by the team.