This is what Seo Jin-yong (33, SSG Landers), the former relief king of the KBO League in the 2023 season, said while looking back on the 2024 season. "I was so disappointed, and the result was bad. I think last year was a period of recovery (from injury)."메이저놀이터

Seo Jin-yong was put on the operating table in November 2023. That year, he became the first relief king (42 saves), but his right elbow broke down. Accumulated fatigue after playing 60 innings for five consecutive years caused the pain. He removed bone fragments of his elbow, the cause of the pain, but his recovery was slow.

Seo had no choice but to join the team late in late April last year. Since his return, his speed has not increased. Worse yet, he was hit on the back of his hand by a hit in early May. He came back in early June, but he pitched jaggedly repeatedly. He posted an ERA of 5.55 in 51 games, and his junior Cho Byung-hyun (23) replaced him as the closing pitcher.

"Not only did he remove the bone fragment, but he also cut off the bone at the back (of his elbow). I was not in good condition," Seo said. "I thought I would get better in the second half of the year, but I had a hard time." "Of course, I think I should do better than last year. It hurts my pride as I have not been mentioned as a substitute closing pitcher this season," Seo said. "If I take many holds as a must-winner, I think I will get good results."

Seo did not exercise his right as a free agent after the last season. "His performance was bad and I wanted to stay in the team for now. However, it is important that Choi Jeong and Noh Kyung (who were both released as free agents) get a sentence, so I thought he would not be able to receive much money due to salary cap (competitive uniformity). I thought it was realistic to do well this year," he said.

Last winter, Choi Jung-eun remained for four years, a total of 11 billion won, and Noh Kyung-eun remained for 2+1 years, up to 2.5 billion won. Considering the SSG situation, where the salary cap is close to the chin, it was difficult to get good conditions even if Seo Jin-yong exercised his FA rights. "There are many teams that need bullpen, so I think it is positive (to postpone the exercise of FA rights)," he said.

Seo has recorded 88 saves with 84 holds in his entire career in the first division. The only players in the league who made 100 holds-100 are Jung Woo-ram (retired, 198 saves, 145 saves) and Jung Dae-hyun (retired, 106 saves, 121 holds). "I am getting better as I throw more and more. I heard that I rarely played more than 800 games (six players and two right hands) as a right-handed pitcher, but I also want to break that record (currently 521 games)."