Baseball
Baseball
Tigers Acquire Veteran Infielder Ha Ju-suk in Exchange for Pitcher Lee Hyeong-beom
The KIA Tigers and Hanwha Eagles completed a one-for-one player exchange on October 23, with veteran infielder Ha Ju-suk moving to the Tigers and right-handed pitcher Lee Hyeong-beom joining the Eagles. The trade was officially announced following the conclusion of their three-game series at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field.
Ha Ju-suk, who has played his entire 15-year career with Hanwha, brings versatility to the Tigers’ infield, capable of playing both second base and shortstop. The 32-year-old appeared in 27 first-team games this season, recording a .256 batting average with 20 hits and 6 runs batted in. He had been performing well in the second-tier league, batting .327 in 98 at-bats.
The Tigers’ management stated their expectation that Ha Ju-suk’s extensive experience would strengthen the team’s depth, particularly given recent concerns about infield injuries and the need for more pinch-hitting options. Both Ha Ju-suk and Lee Hyeong-beom, also 32, entered professional baseball in 2012.
Lee Hyeong-beom, who debuted with NC before joining KIA, made 19 appearances for the Tigers this season, posting an earned run average of 3.00. The Eagles pursued the trade to bolster their bullpen and address a surplus of infielders.
In other news from the series, Hanwha defeated KIA 9-3 on October 23, securing back-to-back victories over the Tigers. During the game, Hanwha’s Moon Hyun-bin hit his 10th home run of the season, a two-run shot in the third inning off KIA starter Keisho Shirakawa. The 130-meter blast directly hit a designated home run zone in right field, earning Moon a vehicle valued at approximately 30 million won.
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