The Lotte club officially announced on the 26th through the club’s social media that it had decided not to renew his contract with Machado and pitcher Anderson Franco. The Lotte Club said, “We decided to say goodbye to Machado and Franco while organizing the squad for the 2022 season. do,” he said.
The breakup with Franco, who appeared in 37 games in the season with 9 wins, 8 losses and 1 hold, and an ERA of 5.40 was expected, but there are many reactions that the failure to renew his contract with Machado is somewhat surprising.
Based on the 2021 season, for Lotte without a Dixon wagon, Bae Seong-geun (left) and Kim Min-soo (right) will be shortstop candidates. Of course, there is a good chance that the shortstop in the 2022 season will not be one of them. Photo = MK Sports DBMachado is a shortstop with a wide defensive range, strong shoulders and accurate throws. Shortstop has been a problem for Lotte for a long time, and has been pointed out as the biggest cause of the insecure infield.
In the 2019 season, the season just before Machado wore the Lotte uniform, Lotte made 114 errors and set a disgraceful record of being number one in error by 10 teams.
However, after Machado came, he recorded 94 errors in 2020, down to 7th place, and this year recorded the smallest team error with 85.
However, Machado’s blow was a disappointment. This was particularly the case with long-distance. He also hit double-digit home runs in the 2020 season, but his slugging has plummeted this season.
In the end, Lotte decided to choose the challenge. “This is a challenge to take one step forward,” said Sung Min-gyu, head of Lotte. The active defensive shift and the high percentage of floating balls were also the main reasons for giving up with Machado. In addition, Busan Sajik Stadium, the home stadium, will have a wider outfield through construction this winter. The fence also rises. It has become an environment in which a batter with slugging power is necessary, and an outfielder with good defense is more preferred.
With the departure of the carriage, the entire Lotte field is foreshadowing a significant change. Above all, people are interested in who will be the new shortstop who will succeed Machado. Even if Lotte itself has a higher floating ball ratio and actively utilizes shift, the shortstop’s role is important.
Bae Seong-geun (26) and Kim Min-soo (23) are the only shortstop candidates without Machado. After joining the professional team, Minsu Kim was mainly used as a second baseman or third baseman first baseman rather than a shortstop. But in this final camp, he was quenched at shortstop. Bae Seong-geun was a backup shortstop in the system where Machado was the main shortstop.
Park Seung-wook (29), who is scheduled to join through a test, is also considered a candidate. Also, the possibility of a trade cannot be ignored. The name of Hak-Joo Lee (31, Samsung Lions), whom Sung had a relationship with while scouting the Chicago Cubs, continues to rise and fall. Of course, Lotte said, “Nothing has been decided. We are devising various ways,” he said cautiously.
The remaining positions are not expected to change significantly. Of course, the first baseman can also change depending on the path of Jeong Hoon (34), who has obtained FA (free agent) qualification. It is highly likely that second baseman Chi-hong Ahn (31) and third baseman Dong-hee Han (22) will keep.
In the 2022 season, Lotte should deliver remarkable results. He finished 7th in the 2020 season after Seong took office, but his ranking fell to 8th in the 2021 season, which was chaotic, such as Larry Sutton taking over the baton after former manager Huh Moon-hoe was sacked. This is the reason why Lotte’s interest in the infield for the 2022 season, especially the shortstop position, is inevitable.
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