I never thought I'd leave in a trade midway through a second-tier game...NC's founding members. There are only two left
I never thought I'd leave in a trade midway through a second-tier game...NC's founding members. There are only two left
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Outfielder Kim Sung-wook (32), a founding member of the NC Dinos in the professional baseball league, has been traded to SSG Landers. Only two of NC`s founding members joined the KBO League through the ninth team in 2012.
On the 7th, NC made a trade on the condition that outfielder Kim Sung-wook was sent to SSG, receiving 50 million won in cash along with the fourth round of the 2026 KBO draft nomination (35th overall). SSG, which needed center field resources to ease the burden on Jihoon Choi, continued to target Kim Sung-wook, and NC also received a rookie nomination and promised the future by using Kim Sung-wook, whose position in the team has been reduced, as a trade card.
Lim Seon-nam, NC`s general manager, said, "This trade was a strategic decision to strengthen the team`s mid- to long-term capabilities. Through the rookie nomination rights, we will have an opportunity to secure promising players. The trade focused on enhancing the team`s future competitiveness. We deeply appreciate Kim Sung-wook for his dedication to the team. We will sincerely support him for his great performance in the new team as well."메이저사이트
Kim Sung-wook was playing in a Futures League match against Lotte at Sangdong Stadium in Gimhae. He came out as the third batter's center fielder, hit a fly ball to third base in the first inning and a fly ball to right field in the fourth inning, and went into the game after being replaced by Ko Seung-wan ahead of the defense in the fourth inning.
The trade was officially announced at 12:30 p.m. on the day, and Kim Sung-wook was replaced after learning the news during the game. After greeting the NC Futures team at Sangdong Stadium, they moved to Suwon, where SSG players are on the road. They will likely be registered in the first division starting with the match against Suwon KT on August 8
Kim Sung-wook, a right-handed high school outfielder, was appointed by NC as the 32nd overall pick in the third round in 2012. Since 2013, when NC entered the main league, it has played for 11 seasons in the main league, recording a batting average of 237 (516 hits in 2,178 times at bat), 78 homers, 293 RBIs, and 64 steals in 971 games with a .398 OPS.708 slugging percentage.
In 2016, he spent his career high season with a batting average of 265 (81 hits in 306 at-bats) of 15 home runs and 51 RBIs with an OPS.801 in 130 games, helping NC advance to the Korean Series for the first time. However, it has not grown as much as expected since then, and even after returning from military service in Sangmu in 2023, it has been hit hard.
Last year, he hit the most home runs and RBIs in a single season with a batting average of 204 (73 hits in 358 at-bats) and 17 home runs and 60 RBIs in 129 games, but his batting productivity was disappointing with OPS.671. Despite becoming a "C-grade" FA last winter, the market response was lukewarm, and he re-signed with NC for up to 300 million won for two years (down payment of 50 million won, annual salary of 200 million won, option of 50 million won).
This season, he played only nine games in the first team and had a batting average of 77 (1 hit in 13 times at bat). Kim Sung-wook's position was reduced as Chun Jae-hwan, Han Seok-hyun, and Park Si-won played alternately in the center field position. On April 11, there was also a bad news that he missed a month by injuring his left shoulder while playing a diving catch during defense against Lotte in Sajik.
He returned to the first team on the 26th of last month, but had no hits in four at-bats in four games. On the 30th of last month, the match against Hanwha in Changwon became the last game in NC's first division. At that time, Hanwha's Esteban Floral's ordinary fly ball was blocked by the sun at the top of the fifth inning, allowing a "double in front of the center fielder," leaving a regret.
The trade was made at a time when some momentum was needed. At this year's Futures League, he had a batting average of .323 (10 hits in 31 at-bats) in 16 games, with one homer, five RBIs and an OPS of .889. At SSG Landers Field in Incheon, the home ground of SSG, a new team, he had a batting average of .272 (34 hits in 125 at-bats) in 54 games, with five homers and 11 RBIs and an OPS of .765. Notably, he had a thrilling memory of hitting a finishing two-run home run as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning in the first game of the 2023 semi-playoff.
With Kim Sung-wook's departure in trade, only two members of NC`s 2012 Changdam are left. There are only infielder Park Min-woo and pitcher Lee Jae-hak who are currently captaining the team. Lee Jae-hak, who joined Doosan in 2010 and moved on to the second draft after the 2011 season, is not a one-club man. Park Min-woo is the only pure one-club man who has played since the foundation of NC.
Outfielder Kwon Hee-dong and pitcher Lim Jung-ho, who joined the team since their first year in 2013, are not members who started the Futures League in 2012. The founding members of NC, which started the Futures League in 2012, include pitchers Won Jong-hyun (Kium), Kim Jin-sung (LG), Lee Min-ho (former Samsung), infielder Noh Jin-hyuk (Lotte), and outfielder Na Sung-bum (KIA), but they left NC due to free agency contract or release. Even Kim Sung-wook said goodbye to NC through a trade.