Lee Jae-hak (32), a founding member, remained with the NC Dinos.
On the 15th, NC signed a contract with right-hander Lee Jae-hak, a free agent (FA), for up to 3 years (2+1 years) for up to 900 million won. The details of the contract are 550 million won for two years and a total option of 350 million won, including execution of the third year contract.
As a result, a total of 5 players out of 7 who applied for free agency this winter from NC have decided. Franchise one-club man Park Min-woo and Lee Jae-hak remained in NC. Won Jong-hyun, Yang Eui-ji, and Noh Jin-hyuk left the team unfortunately. There are only two outfielders, Lee Myeong-gi and Kwon Hee-dong, who have yet to decide where to go.
NC tried to keep the franchise one-club man alive. After Yang Eui-ji left, he tried to catch Noh Jin-hyeok, but was unsuccessful. The remaining free agents in the market swept by the storm were Lee Jae-hak, Lee Myung-ki, and Kwon Hee-dong.
Among them, only one Lee Jae-hak negotiated with NC and ended up with a contract to stay.
Kwon Hee-dong is also a star in the one-club man franchise, and Lee Myeong-ki is a winning member, but it became difficult to sign a contract as the backup outfield was saturated with the recruitment of Han Seok-hyun in the early days of the free agent market. Next season, NC plans to focus on young outfielders such as Son A-seop, Jason Martin, Park Gun-woo, Kim Seong-wook, Oh Jang-han, and Futures League free agent Han Seok-hyun, who have completed military service.
NC’s efforts to retain Lee Jae-hak also had an effect on the symbolism of the founding ace and the fact that the more there are, the better the pitcher.
Lee Jae-hak is a veteran pitcher with rich experience who is still competitive in the starter and bullpen. He was born in 1990 and is only 32 years old, so he still has plenty of potential to bounce back to his prime in the years to come.
Lee Jae-hak is a founding member of the NC Dinos, who joined the Doosan Bears in the 2nd round of 2010 with the 10th overall pick and then joined the KBO 2nd draft in 2011. As a member of NC, he carved a bold footprint, including his team’s first win, first complete game, first complete shutout, first rookie king, and first 10 wins in domestic selection. In the 2013-2016 season, he recorded double-digit wins for four consecutive years, and until this year, he won a total of 76 wins under NC, continuing the club’s record for the most individual wins.
Lim Seon-nam, general manager of the NC Dinos, said, “I am happy to continue making history with Lee Jae-hak, who shared important moments such as our club’s first win, first complete game, and first rookie award.”
He did not hide his expectations for the part outside of baseball. Director Lim said, “As a senior on the team, I expect to play a role in strengthening the NC Dinos outside of baseball as well as on the ground.”
In NC, many veteran pitchers such as Kim Jin-seong, Lim Chang-min, and Won Jong-hyun have left the team in recent years. The situation is naturally being reorganized into young pitchers. The role of a senior franchise senior who will serve as the focal point for the pitching staff is needed.메이저놀이터
Lee Jae-hak said, “It feels so good to be able to continue playing for the NC Dinos, which I have been with since the foundation. I will prepare well to show you a better image than the good times in the past with the mindset of starting anew.”
Lee Jae-hak will join the team in line with NC’s CAMP 2 (NC Spring Camp) schedule in February next year.