The KIA Tigers announced the 2023 spring camp roster on the 15th.
On the 15th, KIA released a list of participants for the spring camp leaving for Tucson, Arizona, USA on the 30th of this month. Thirty-six players, including rookie pitcher Yoon Young-chul, are scheduled to return home on March 9 after holding spring camps in Arizona and Okinawa, Japan.
Yoon Young-cheol, the second overall rookie in the first round of the KIA this year, was absent from the finishing camp held by the KIA in Seogwipo, Jeju Island at the end of last year. It was the club’s intention to give his tired shoulders a rest and to improve his basic stamina, as he threw a lot of pitches during his three years of high school, including an official number of pitches of 2,657.
KIA was the only rookie to participate in the Arizona spring camp where the main members participated this year, clearing away health concerns and revealing expectations for Yoon Young-chul. Yoon Yeong-chul, who was named the ‘biggest fish’ for a rookie left-hander this year and won the Choi Dong-won Award in high school, is determined to confidently compete with his seniors in any position, from the 5th starter competition to bullpen fights.
There are also other new names. 먹튀검증 On November 11 last year, KIA gave the right to pick the second round of the 2024 rookie draft and traded Kiwoom Heroes catcher Joo Hyo-sang. In order to strengthen catcher Deb Yoon-Young-Chuls at the time, the KIA brought in a gunpil catcher from the first nomination in 2016, but after that, as the main catcher Park Dong-won left as a free agent, more expectations were placed on Joo Hyo-sang.
Joo Hyo-sang underwent elbow ligament joint surgery in September 2021 and was in the final stage of rehabilitation. KIA listened carefully to Kiwoom about Hyo-sang Joo’s physical condition at the time of the trade and recruited him. Joo Hyo-sang, as KIA general manager Jang Jeong-seok assured, will normally board the spring camp and compete as the starting catcher this year along with Han Seung-taek, Shin Beom-soo, and Kim Seon-woo.
On November 10, the day before Joo Hyo-sang came to the KIA, infielder Byun Woo-hyeok, who was traded from the Hanwha Eagles, transferred to the KIA after undergoing rehabilitation in Seosan after the season due to herniated disc symptoms, although it did not require surgery. Like Hyo-sang Joo, Woo-hyeok Byun, who was from the first nomination (2019), had a lot of toxic residual injuries, such as previous shoulder injuries, and bought concerns.
However, with the determination to focus on baseball without injury, he devoted himself to rehabilitation this winter and was included in the spring camp roster. Byun Woo-hyeok, who was singled out by general manager Jang as “the number 4 hitter who will lead the decade,” must compete with Ryu Ji-hyeok, Kim Do-young, Kim Kyu-seong, and Lim Seok-jin at third base, and Hwang Dae-in and Kim Seok-hwan at first base to secure his place.