"They Should Have Signed Chan Ho Park" — Lotte Giants Struggle Under 17 Billion Won Burdens... Kim Tae-hyung Faces Another Rocky Third Year

[Financial News] This winter was anything but hot for the Lotte Giants.
Although the free agent market opened, the only real solution for Lotte was Chan Ho Park. While a power hitter like Kang Baek-ho is certainly needed, there was no guarantee he could resolve Lotte’s long-standing power shortage. Over nine seasons, Kang hit more than 20 home runs only three times, and this year he managed a .265 average with 15 home runs—hardly impressive. Without a set defensive position, entrusting him with the designated hitter role carried too much risk.
Another issue is that Lotte has become a club that can no longer afford another burdensome contract. In the past, they poured a total of 17 billion won into Yoo Kang-nam, No Jin-hyuk, and Han Hyun-hee, only to see disastrous results. Yoo Kang-nam failed to live up to his price tag, while No Jin-hyuk and Han Hyun-hee were outright disappointments.
The cumulative failures have left Lotte with 17 billion won in debt, making the team virtually immobile. To make matters worse, organizational changes this year have left the club’s direction unclear. Under these circumstances, signing a free agent worth over 10 billion won was structurally and psychologically impossible. Above all, the parent group’s situation is not favorable, forcing an overall budget cut for the baseball team. Last year was similar, but it was only possible because Kim Won-joong agreed to a lower salary.

In fact, Chan Ho Park was the perfect fit to address Lotte’s most pressing needs. The Giants’ shortstop position has been vacant for years. The acquisition of No Jin-hyuk was an attempt to fill that void, but it ended in failure. Since then, Lotte has had to rely on temporary solutions, rotating players like Park Seung-wook, Jeon Min-jae, and Lee Ho-joon.
Even in last year’s rookie draft, Lotte considered picking Park Joon-soon and selected several promising shortstops such as Han Tae-yang, Lee Ho-joon, and Semin Kim, reflecting the club’s internal priorities. They even traded Kim Min-seok, their third pick, to acquire Jeon Min-jae for Jeong Cheol-won. Given these circumstances, it was no surprise that agents believed Lotte would be the most aggressive team in pursuit of Chan Ho Park this winter.
Chan Ho Park has played at least 130 games and stolen more than 20 bases for seven consecutive years, consistently delivering in all aspects—offense, defense, and base running. Even in a down year, his defense and speed alone make him a valuable contributor, as he has already proven.
He doesn’t need to be a game-changer. That’s not what Lotte is looking for. The Giants need stability, substance, and reliability more than flash or impact.
In fact, Lotte may have been even more desperate than Doosan or the Kia Tigers.

However, Lotte currently lacks the resources to secure that stability. Midseason, they took a gamble by bringing in Vincent Velasquez, but instead fell into a 12-game losing streak, drifting further from the top five.
The vicious cycle of spending money only to drop in the standings has repeated itself. As a result, even in his third year, manager Kim Tae-hyung has yet to receive the ‘missing piece’ he needs. At this rate, the current structure—where Park Seung-wook, Jeon Min-jae, and Lee Ho-joon compete for the position—will likely continue next year. Facing the postseason with this roster is a daunting reality. The two foreign pitchers are crucial, and rapid development from young players is essential. Yun-Na-Go-Hwang has yet to firmly establish himself as a core member of the Giants.
Lotte fans are already expressing frustration, saying, “It will be another season of waiting for a miracle.” Past poor decisions continue to haunt the team, and this winter, Lotte has let yet another ‘lost opportunity’ slip away. That makes it all the more painful.
Ultimately, Kim Tae-hyung’s third year as manager is shaping up to be another difficult journey, and Lotte is once again left asking the same question: “Will we finally make the postseason next year?”
jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter