Lee Jung-hoo, Kang Baek-ho, and So Hyeong-jun, expecting to be active this year

Each year in January, the annual salary negotiations for 10 clubs close one after another. In addition, players who have significantly increased and cut players in each club will be able to gauge what kind of performance they performed last year. In particular, there are those who are attracting attention for their high rate of increase in their annual salary this 2021 season. These are the three musketeers from the rookie king, including Kiwoom Lee Jeong-hoo (23), KT Kang Baek-ho (22), and Sohn Joon (20).

Among them, Lee Jung-hoo is in the midst of’breaking the highest salary stamp’. Lee Jung-hoo signed an annual salary contract for 550 million won, an increase of 160 million won from 390 million won last year. Although he was a senior member of his team, he has lightly surpassed the highest annual salary (320 million won) in his fifth year of Kim Ha-seong (San Diego Padres), who is now a major leaguer. Lee Jung-hoo already has the highest annual salary record in the third year (230 million won) and the fourth year (390 million won). It is breaking the record for the highest annual salary every year.

Although it wasn’t a bit short after the move, the trend of Kang Baek-ho’s annual salary increase is also a vertical upward curve. He received 120 million won in his second year, surpassing his annual salary in the second year after Lee Jeong-ho, and received 210 million won last year, which was in his third year. The rise is being made.

So, Joon Sohn has emerged as a prospect with an expectation of an increase in annual salary comparable to those in the future. He is a new high school graduate who won a double-digit victory for the first time since Ryu Hyun-jin in 2006, and he signed a contract for 140 million won, a 419% increase from last year’s annual salary of 27 million won. It is an amount that exceeds the 2nd year salary of Lee Jeong-hoo and Kang Baek-ho, and is the record for the second highest annual salary increase rate. SK Ha Jae-hoon signed a record for 150 million won, an increase of 455.6% from 27 million won in 2019. The rate of increase is actually the highest rate of newcomers ever. Also, the ransom may continue to rise vertically in the future.

Above all, there is a high expectation that these salary jackpot makers will make a big success this season. In particular, in the case of Lee Jung-hoo, if this momentum continues, there is hope that it could become the first KBO league outfielder to challenge the major leagues. Na Seong-beom is frustrated this year, and Lee Jung-hoo is expected to save the pride of the KBO league outfielder after washing the past, where only infielders have succeeded in advancing to the big leagues.

Baekho Kang and Jun Sohn are strong pillars that KT can see beyond the first fall baseball to win. Many fans are paying attention because their growth is directly connected to the momentum of the team.

Reporter Song Yong-joon eidy015@segye.com

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