SSG’s failure to advance to the playoffs ended this season, interest in next year’s future
remains competitive in the postseason, 42 years old next year, high salary is an obstacle
Will SSG Landers veteran Choo Shin-soo be able to continue his active career next year?
SSG lost 6-7 in the third game of the semi-playoff (quasi-PO) against NC Dinos held at Changwon NC Park on the 25th. SSG, who had been pushed to the brink by losing the first and second games at home, was unable to turn the game around on the road and ended the season with three consecutive losses.
With this, Choo Shin-soo’s season came to an end. He started as the designated hitter in Game 3 of the semi-PO and recorded 1 hit, 1 walk, and 1 run in 4 at-bats. He succeeded in getting on base multiple times, but was unable to prevent the team from losing.
In particular, after completing the quasi-PO, his eyes turned red as if he had mixed emotions, raising curiosity about his future actions.
Choo Shin-soo, who graduated from Busan High School and entered the United States in 2001, achieved outstanding results in the Major League with a batting average of 0.275 and 218 home runs in 1,652 games. He entered the KBO League stage wearing SSG uniform in 2021.
In 2021, his first season in the KBO League, he got off to a good start by joining the oldest ’20 (home run) -20 (steal base) club’ with 21 home runs and -25 stolen bases.
He showed off his health in the 2022 season with 16 home runs and 58 RBIs. In particular, he faithfully fulfilled his leadoff role with an on-base percentage of 0.382, which ranked second in the team, and contributed to SSG’s ‘Wire to Wire’ victory.
In last year’s Korean Series, he contributed to SSG’s overall victory with a batting average of 0.320 and an on-base percentage of 0.414. Enjoying the thrill of his first professional win, he shed hot tears along with his same-age bettor, Kim Kang-min.
Choo Shin-soo, who showed off his skills that are not inferior to his juniors, succeeded in extending his active service by signing a one-year contract with SSG last winter with an annual salary of 1.7 billion won.
However, not even the world’s greatest god could defy the weight of time. Due to frequent injuries and poor performance this year, Choo Shin-soo only had a batting average of 0.254 and 12 home runs. He still showed his competitiveness by recording double-digit home runs, but as his performance declined as the years went by, he came to a point where he had to consider whether he should continue his active career.
Of course, he performed somewhat poorly in this year’s regular season, but Choo Shin-soo still showed his competitiveness by recording a batting average of 0.333 and an on-base percentage of 0.455 in this postseason. Especially on a big stage like fall baseball, the experience of a veteran cannot be ignored.
However, among the nine players in the SSG fielder starting lineup for the third game of the semi-PO, shortstop Park Seong-han is the only one in his 20s, so the need for generational change is emerging within and outside of the club.메이저놀이터
Another issue is that Choo Shin-soo is a high-income earner. It is not easy for SSG to guarantee a large annual salary to Choo Shin-soo, who turns 42 next year. His classmates Lee Dae-ho, Kim Tae-gyun, and Jeong Geun-woo have already taken off their uniforms a long time ago. It is not strange to retire right away, but your will is important.
Attention is being paid to what choice Choo Shin-soo will make as he approaches the extension of his active career.