A Christmas gift from Kiwoom Lee Jeong-hoo and Ahn Woo-jin went, but Cho Sang-woo is coming.

Kiwoom Heroes Cho Sang-woo returned after completing his military service.

Lee Jung-hoo left for the Major League, and Ahn Woo-jin decided to enlist in the military due to an injury. Although the pillar of Tuta that supported his upbringing is missing, there is still some consolation. This is the return of Cho Sang-woo (29), who was the best closing pitcher in the league.

As of the 23rd, Cho Sang-woo was discharged from the military after serving as a social worker for 1 year and 9 months.

Cho Sang-woo, who enlisted in March of last year to perform military service, will be absent for two seasons until this season and will return at the start of the 2024 season.

For Kiwoom, this is a face he is more pleased with than anyone else. He had been the league's best closing pitcher before his enlistment.

After joining the team in 2013, he stood out in 2014, his second year, and established himself as a closing pitcher in 2019.

In 2019, he recorded 20 saves, and in 2020, he went 5 wins, 3 losses, 33 saves, and an ERA of 2.15, winning his first save title. Cho Sang-woo, who had a fast ball that exceeded 150 km per hour, was an unwavering closing pitcher.

During the two seasons without Cho Sang-woo, Kiwoom had a lot of problems with the back door. In 2022, they advanced to the Korean Series thanks to the performances of Ahn Woo-jin and Lee Jeong-hoo, but were frustrated on the brink of victory due to a poor bullpen. Choi Won-tae (now LG), who was a starting pitcher, was moved to the bullpen, and Kim Jae-woong and Kim Tae-hoon (now Samsung) struggled, but it was not enough.

This season, the entire pitching staff was shaken as the team fell to last place. Lim Chang-min, a 38-year-old veteran, worked hard as a closing pitcher, but there was a lack of a sure-fire team member to take charge. Kiwoom's bullpen average ERA was 4.94, ranking 9th in the league.

Kiwoom Heroes Cho Sang-woo.

It is not easy to plan a bullpen lineup for next season right now. Yang Hyeon, who played a key role in the bullpen, left for Samsung through the second draft, and Kim Seong-jin enlisted in the military. Won Jong-hyun, who was signed as a free agent ahead of this season, will not be able to return until the second half of next year due to an injury, and Lim Chang-min has declared free agency, so it is unclear whether he will remain in Kiwoom.

Meanwhile, Cho Sang-woo's return is like a ray of 'light.' If Jo Sang-woo takes center stage as a closing pitcher, it will be much easier to form a bullpen. Kim Jae-woong, Moon Seong-hyun, and Ha Young-min, who were anxious as closing pitchers, can relieve their anxiety, and Kim Dong-hyuk and Lee Myung-jong, who have gained a lot of experience this season, can also be expected to work hard.

Of course, Cho Sang-woo alone cannot fill the vacuum left by Lee Jeong-hoo and Ahn Woo-jin. For Cho Sang-woo, as an individual, he left when the team was at its strongest and came back when it was at its weakest.

However, this is the return of Cho Sang-woo, something that Kiwoom and Kiwoom fans have been eagerly waiting for. As an individual, Cho Sang-woo can qualify as a free agent by playing two more seasons. It is bound to be a very important season because even if 2024 is completed well, we can aim to advance to overseas leagues through the posting system (private competitive bidding).


gostopsite.com

casinositerank.com