While must-win bullpen pitchers such as Kim Won-joong (31, Lotte Giants), Jang Hyun-sik (29, LG Twins), and Noh Kyung-eun (40, SSG Landers) signed the "jackpot" contract in the stove league, Lee Yong-chan (35), who has guarded the back door of the NC Dinos for the past four years, is still in the market.

In the FA market, where 10 bullpen pitchers poured out, Kim Won-joong, Jang Hyun-sik, and Noh Kyung-eun, as well as Kim Kang-ryul (LG) and Koo Seung-min (Lotte), each of the "must-win" resources entered preparation for next season with satisfactory contracts.토토사이트

Meanwhile, news of negotiations by Lee Yong-chan, who served as NC's closer until this year, is still fresh. Originally, Lee could join the "Must-win Group's jackpot party" with other players.

Lee Yong-chan, who signed a three-plus-one-year, 2.7 billion won contract with NC in May 2021, changed his uniform and began to use his new heyday. After only five games due to injury in 2020, the previous season, he became NC's guardian by making 16 saves in 2021, his first season of transfer, and 22 saves in 2022.

Lee Yong-chan, who had the most saves in his career with 4 wins, 4 losses, 29 saves and an ERA of 4.13 in 61 innings in 60 games last year, started the season as NC's closing pitcher again this year. Even until July, he maintained a two-point ERA and posted 3 wins, 6 losses, 16 saves and 2 holds in 45 games, which was not bad even if it was often shaken.

However, his earned run average (ERA) started to skyrocket in August. He allowed 14 runs in four ⅓ innings in seven games in August and nine runs in five ⅓ in five games in September, adding to three losses without making a save. Lee's hit rate reached 0.552 in August, and his ERA, which had remained at two points, soared to the six-point level before he knew it. Eventually, at the end of the season, Lee moved in and out of the second division and gave up the finishing touch to Kim Jae-yeol.

Records show that Lee Yong-chan suddenly experienced a decrease in ball power at the end of the season, but in reality, that was not the case. Lee's hit rate for the season was 0.353, tying for second (Na Gyun-an) among pitchers in the league who played more than 30 percent of regular innings. Even in June and July, when the record was maintained, the hit rate far exceeded 30 percent. The WHIP (per-inning allowed rate) for the season also recorded 1.90, showing signs of being unstable as a closer.

In the end, Lee Yong-chan's last-minute slump was not a sudden turmoil, but a "bomb that could explode at any time." He is one of the best-ever finishes for NC with 83 saves (No. 1 Lim Chang-min 94 saves), the second-most in the club's history, but at this rate, it is unclear whether he will be used in other positions other than finishing. It remains to be seen whether Lee Yong-chan will be able to find his team and provide another opportunity for a rebound in the FA market.