‘Lee Myung-gi Mystery’ batting average of 30%, grade C, why is it being ignored?

The biggest obstacle to free agent transfer is the compensation player. In addition to the 20 protected players, one must be given. Losing one of the 1.5-level players in the 1st team.

A team looking to sign a free agent cannot help but consider a reward player. It is even more so for teams trying to rebuild.

The system introduced to prevent such harm is the FA rating system. Players were graded based on age, salary, etc. Among them, players classified as Class C can transfer teams without compensation players.

However, there are currently two C-class players left in the market. Pitcher Kang Ri-ho and outfielder Lee Myung-gi are the main characters.

Among them, Lee Myung-gi is shunned by the market despite his not-so-bad grades. Why are C-class players who are guaranteed a certain level of performance not popular in the market?

If you look at the records, it’s close to a mystery.

Lee Myung-ki made his debut with SK in 2008 and recorded a career batting average of 0.307 until last year.

Last year, he had a sluggish batting average of 0.260, but in the 2021 season alone, the previous year, he recorded a high batting average of 0.293. He’s 36 years old, which is a bit old, but he’s a player you can count on for at least two years.

Even though such a player is a C grade that does not need a compensation player, there is no movement at all. He is unable to find a place to go amidst the cold treatment of his original club, NC. The club that he is clearly interested in has not yet appeared. What is the reason?

Multiple general managers talked about the impact of the salary cap. It’s not that Lee Myung-gi doesn’t have much need for it, but it’s a problem that can get him under the salary cap, so he has no choice but to save himself unless it’s a necessary expense. 메이저놀이터

The general manager of Team A said, “Currently, it is difficult to meet the salary cap. The problem is that this amount will be maintained for two more years. There is bound to be a natural increase every year. Even if you can afford a little bit now, it should be seen that additional spending is difficult because the situation may change after next year. I don’t know if Lee Myung-gi was a player who attracted attention from the beginning, but he thinks it’s too risky to jump in with interest later. There is a meeting about whether the player is necessary enough to be recruited without being affected by the salary cap. A player like that would have been signed early. The fact that there has been no movement so far means that he is not a player worth recruiting while bearing the burden of the salary cap.”

The general manager of Team B also pointed out that the burden of the salary cap is becoming an obstacle in the end.

Team B’s general manager said, “Lee Myung-ki is definitely a talented player, but his defense is weak, so it is difficult to use him in all weather. It has become very difficult to find a place for Lee Myung-gi in a trend where outfield defense is particularly emphasized. He can be recruited considering that, but the salary tab is too wasteful for that. It is the homework of each team to create a margin somehow. We need to think a bit more about whether Lee Myung-gi is that level of a player. Everyone is unable to move easily because of the salary cap,” he pointed out.

It means that the beneficiaries of a new system are falling victim to another system.

The power of the salary cap was more than we thought. That barrier is holding the ankles of stable outfielders who are guaranteed 30%.

Can a team reach out to Lee Myung-gi over the barrier of the salary cap? As of now, that doesn’t seem very likely.