Kim Tae-gun and KIA in the early stages of a long-term deal

Both the KIA Tigers and Kim Tae-gun, 34, want a long-term contract. The two sides have exchanged views and negotiations are expected to be finalized as early as this month.

The Tigers sent infielder Ryu Ji-hyuk to the Samsung Lions on May 5 and brought in Kim Tae-gun to bolster their catching staff. It’s only been a few days, but the effect has been dramatic. Starting as a substitute against the SSG Landers on May 5, Kim Tae-gun played well in the offense. Kia went on a six-game winning streak after his arrival. Kim will become a free agent (FA) after this season. After the transfer, he said, “My second free agency is coming up, and I hope it goes well.” So far, both the player and the club are happy with the results.

“Of course, we are thinking of signing him to a long-term contract before he becomes a free agent,” said Kia president Shim Jae-hak after signing Kim Tae-gun. This is not a new idea for the club, which signed prospect Park Dong-won (LG Twins) last year, but failed to sign him to a long-term contract and missed out on the free agent market. In fact, after traveling to the United States to work on foreign players, Shim entrusted Kwon Yoon-min, the head of KIA’s operations department, with the task of signing Kim Tae-gun to a long-term, non-free agent contract.

Discussions between Kia and Kim have already begun. It was a quick turnaround. Kim’s agent and Kwon Yoon-min met once. “It’s not a formal negotiation,” Kwon said. However, we have been informed of the terms that Kim Tae-gun and his agent want. The club hasn’t offered any specific terms yet.”바카라사이트

Park Hee-jin, head of Kim Tae-gun’s agency, Brion Company, said, “We have presented the contract we want. We are pushing to sign him in July. We explained that it would be beneficial for both the club and Kim Tae-gun, who is starting the second half of the season.”

For KIA, there are two players who will be signing new contracts after this season. They are veterans Choi Hyung-woo and Kim Sun-bin. Choi’s three-year free agent contract ends after this season. He has one more year of vesting rights, but there is a possibility of an extension. Kim Sun-bin is more urgent. His four-year, 4 billion won contract ends after the 2019 season. KIA is likely to prioritize Kim’s contract in order to maintain a stable powerhouse. That shouldn’t take too long.