"The 0th place for foreigners at once" .30-63 home run hitters were solved...Tess-hyung, who broke up with KIA, will he try to re-enter the KBO

"The 0th place for foreigners at once" .30-63 home run hitters were solved...Tess-hyung, who broke up with KIA, will he try to re-enter the KBO

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It could be a "surprise card" that could shake the landscape in the 2025 season. The Kia Tigers completely parted ways with Socrates (aged 32) who had failed to renew his contract.

Kia announced on Monday that it has hired Patrick Wisdom (33) as a new foreign hitter for a total of 1 million U.S. dollars. After winning the combined championship this year, Kia has sought a foreign hitter with homerun production capability. Wisdom, a big right-handed hitter, is expected to balance left-handed Na Sung-bum (35) and Choi Hyung-woo (41) to add weight. As a batter boasting 88 home runs in the Major League, it is sufficient to put pressure on the opponent's battery to overcome the pressure.

Recruitment of Wisdom meant breaking up with Socrates. Socrates had a batting average of 0.310 (171 hits in 552 times at bat), 26 homers, 97 RBIs and an OPS of 0.875 in 140 games this year. The results were sufficient to expect renewal of contract, and since Kia won the combined championship this year, there was no reason to make any change.

Socrates spent three seasons with the Kia Tigers from 2022 to this year, playing 409 games, batting average of 0.302 (487 hits in 1,613 times at bat), 63 home runs and 270 RBIs in total. He was consistent at bat all the time, and got along well with Kia's teammates, so there was no problem with teamwork. This is why Kia included Socrates in the list of players on hold and submitted it to the KBO after this season.

However, he had no choice but to give up Socrates when he was able to sign a contract with Wisdom. "When I signed with Socrates last year, I thought that his batting speed improved a little in the second season compared to the first season. Socrates tended to pull the ball direction, but he expected that the possibility of a hit to a left-handed pitcher also increased due to the restriction on defensive shift. He also showed very weak performance on left-handed pitchers' sliders, and he thought that he would be okay until this season to overcome them little by little. Classic statistics such as batting average and number of home runs were good this year. However, he was a really good player as the detailed statistics showed a little drop in indicators and the defense showed a little drop in behavioral radius, but he needed a more powerful foreign hitter," said Shim Jae-hak.

KIA released Socrates' right of withholding at the same time as it concluded its contract with Wisdom. According to KBO regulations, players on the withholding list can only negotiate with their original teams, and if the renewal of contract breaks down, they cannot transfer to another team in the KBO League for five years.

After completing the formation of all 10 teams of foreign players after KIA, it is difficult for Socrates to immediately pursue a contract with a Korean team. Instead, if a foreign hitter is sluggish or injured while preparing for the next season or in the course of playing the next season, chances are high that Socrates will be the 0th replacement player. Next year, he is not that old at 33 years old, and he is a player who has been proven in the KBO League, so everyone wants to.

Now, it is too late for Socrates to seek a return to the U.S. Major League. Socrates made his big league debut for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2015, and last got a chance to play in the big league with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2019. He is not a remarkable player in the U.S. as he has a batting average of 0.179 (37 hits in 207 at-bats), five homers and 18 RBIs in 99 games in the Major League.

Socrates is expected to continue his career for now by looking into U.S. minor league contracts or other overseas leagues. However, chances are high that he will return to the team where the first love call comes from the KBO. 스포츠토토

Kia fans called Socrates the "Tes-hyung" and showed great affection. Some say that they can no longer hear Socrates' impressive trumpet performance. If Socrates succeeds in signing a contract as an alternative foreigner next season, fans will be curious about the unfamiliar scene of him joining the KBO League wearing a team uniform other than KIA.