There are less than three days left before the start of the spring camp. All clubs in the KBO League have already completed the composition of foreign players, but only NC is currently in progress. Time is running out. The vacancy of the departed foreign ace must be filled as soon as possible, but it is only slow. When will the puzzle of the NC starters be completed?
NC started replacing foreign players ahead of the 2023 season. Pitcher Matt Dermody and hitter Nick Martini, who worked together last season, were replaced by MLB pitcher Eric Peddie and outfielder Jason Martin, respectively, after the season ended. Foreign ace Drew Luczynski, who deep down wanted to stay, left the team and had to fill his void.
The NC team will leave for spring camp on the 29th at Reid Park and Annex Fields in Tucson, Arizona, USA. At the point of entering full-scale training in preparation for the 2023 season, there is still no news about the recruitment of foreign players. The plan to complete the last puzzle before camp went wrong. Earlier, on the 9th, NC general manager Lim Seon-nam said, “It is clear that there are issues to be resolved, such as visas, so I think that the contract (recruitment of foreign players) should be completed before spring camp. The goal is to finish it by the beginning of next week.” 안전놀이터
A lot of time was delayed. However, after careful deliberation, it was confirmed that the current foreign player recruitment contract has progressed considerably. In a phone call with Sports Seoul on the 26th, Director Lim said, “The original plan was to finish it before the Lunar New Year holidays, but it didn’t go as quickly as we hoped. Still, I think it will be finished in two weeks,” he said. There are still some things to be adjusted, but I want to finish the contract as soon as possible and make an announcement this week.”
He avoided mentioning the new players in detail, but focused on forming a strong starting lineup with newly joined Peddy and native ace Koo Chang-mo. Director Lim said, “I don’t try to recruit based on one characteristic. The player currently in negotiations also saw if he could make a really strong starting lineup with Peddy and Chang-mo Koo.”
Judging from the words that he is negotiating at the last minute, he will join the spring camp immediately with the news of the contract completion before leaving the camp at the earliest. He said, “When the contract with the player is completed, he goes through a medical check at a local hospital in the United States and is thinking of it as a schedule to join the camp right away.”
NC’s puzzle will be completed soon. He is the last foreign player in the KBO League. I wonder if NC’s completed puzzle will be able to reproduce the ‘integrated championship’ once again in the 2023 season.