Negotiations between veteran infielder Kim Sun-bin (34), who acquired FA qualification for the second time, and the KIA Tigers are getting longer. Since the FA qualification was announced on November 18, the 18th day, no news of the settlement has been heard until the morning of the 6th. It seems that they are negotiating for nearly a month as they have already been in contact even before the FA announcement.
The basic line for each other is to stay. Kim Sun-bin has been wearing the Tigers’ uniform as a one-club man for 16 years since joining the club in 2008. He does not seem to have any intention of playing for another club. The club also wants to stay as a franchise star. Above all, he acknowledges the fact that he has posted a total of 333 runs. Nevertheless, the two sides have different views on what each other has in common.
The first is the number of years of contract. Kim Sun-bin will turn 34 on the 18th. He will join the ranks of veteran players. Veteran players usually want to be guaranteed contract years. If it is a four-year contract, it is until 2027. In terms of age, he is 38. On the contrary, clubs put safety devices for three years, or 3+1 years, because they invest based on the possibility of future activities.
The second is money. Players naturally want to increase the amount of money guaranteed. Kim signed a four-year, four-billion-won (31 million U.S. dollars) contract during the first FA season. He was 31 years old in 2020, the first season of his contract. There is a possibility that the second contract was based on a similar level of performance by banking on his four-year career. Given his age, the club probably offered less conditions than in the first round.
If there is a big difference in amount, it is not easy to find a point of contact. Recently, the club reportedly proposed an amendment as the tug-of-war got prolonged. This means that the amount was higher than the original amount. Kim Sun-bin’s side may have taken a step back from the requirements. However, the club’s amendment does not seem to be a condition to solidify Kim’s mind. In the end, it seems that the team is engaged in a last-minute tug-of-war over options.
In other words, it is the weight of options. In the case of batters, various options such as batting average, RBI, number of games, OPS, and stolen base can be applied. In the case of Kim Sun-bin, who enters the aging curve, service time can be considered important. Regulation at-bats or more than 120 games can be applied. This can be set based on the average performance of four years during the first FA period. Therefore, there is a high possibility that the option ratio will increase. Instead, the conditions for meeting the option can be flexible to favor the player. 파워볼실시간
There is an example of ace Yang Hyeon-jong. When he returned from the U.S. after the 2021 season, he signed a four-year, 10.3 billion-won (18.3 million U.S. dollars) contract as an FA. At that time, Yang’s side wanted to increase the amount of money guaranteed and the team wanted to increase the portion of options considering his age. In the end, he signed a contract with a down payment of 3 billion won, an annual salary of 2.5 billion won, and an option of 4.8 billion won. The size of his options exceeded his annual salary. Usually, pitchers are subject to innings, ERA, wins, and number of QSs. Some critics say that their navels are bigger than that of players. This raises questions about the size of Kim’s options.
