Newcomers' Completion Generation? Both Kim Taek-yeon and Cho Byung-hyun have exceeded 100 million annual salary... Will "Cho Sang-woo's Replacement" also hit 100 million mark in his third year of debut

Newcomers' Completion Generation? Both Kim Taek-yeon and Cho Byung-hyun have exceeded 100 million annual salary... Will "Cho Sang-woo's Replacement" also hit 100 million mark in his third year of debut

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Doosan Bears' Kim Taek-yeon (20) and SSG Landers' Cho Byung-hyun (23), who stood out as new closing pitchers in the 2024 season, reached the 100 million salary mark with remarkable increases, while Kiwoom Heroes' Joo Seung-woo (25), who showed his potential as a closing pitcher as a substitute for Cho Sang-woo during the season, is also interested in whether he can negotiate a salary comparable to that.토토사이트

Young pitchers, who emerged as the team's new closer last year, are being treated explosively in salary negotiations this year.

The most notable player is Doosan's Kim Taek-yeon. Kim, who won the 2024 KBO Rookie of the Year award, tied the highest salary in his second year of high school by signing a contract for W140 million, up W110 million, or 366.7 percent, from W30 million. The 366.7 percent salary increase is the highest ever recorded by a Bears franchise.
Kim Taek-yeon, who was drafted by Doosan as the second overall pick in the first round of the 2024 rookie draft, emerged as a must-winner for Doosan's bullpen based on his overwhelming pitching from the beginning of the first season after his debut in the KBO. Having become Doosan's closing pitcher since mid-June, he ended the season with an earned run average of 2.08 with three wins, two losses and 19 saves. Rather than feeling nervous or pressured about finishing the game, he showed off a sense of stability that is not like a high school graduate rookie.

Thanks to this performance, Kim Taek-yeon won 93 out of 101 valid votes at the 2024 KBO Awards held in November last year, receiving overwhelming support of 92.1% of the vote, earning the honor of a once-in-a-lifetime rookie award.
Cho Byung-hyun, who played a must-win role for the team in the 2024 season and took over as the closing pitcher since August, also signed a salary contract for 135 million won with a whopping 350 percent increase. This is SSG's highest annual salary increase for a club in the 2025 season.

Cho Byung-hyun, who finished the season with a record of 4 wins, 6 losses, 12 saves and 12 holds with an ERA of 3.58, played the next most appearances (76 games) and innings (73 innings) in his team. In particular, Cho, who showed off his extreme form by pitching 13 scoreless innings in 12 games in the second half of the season, was selected for the Premier 12 national team after the end of the season.
Kiwoom Joo Seung-woo was somewhat lacking compared to the performances of Kim Taek-yeon and Cho Byung-hyun, but he revealed his potential as a next-generation closer by minimizing Cho Sang-woo's gap. Joo Seung-woo, who joined Kiwoom as the first draft pick of the 2022 rookie draft after graduating from Sungkyunkwan University, fell far short of expectations with a 10.80 ERA and one loss and a 9.56 ERA in 11 games in the 2023 season without winning or losing four games.

However, he turned the game around when he was named the closing pitcher of his team last year. Except when Cho Sang-woo returned to the closing pitcher position for a short time in June and July, Joo took the mound as the closing pitcher for most of this season. In the first half, Joo had a hard time in 28 games with one win, five losses, seven saves and five holds with an ERA of 5.33, but found stability with three wins, one loss and seven saves with an ERA of 3.42, in 27 games in the second half.

Joo's final performance in the 2024 season is 4.35 ERA with four wins, six losses and 14 saves and five holds in 55 games. With Cho leaving for the KIA Tigers through a trade, Kiwoom's closing pitcher for next season is also likely to be Joo. Joo's annual salary last year was 32 million won. It remains to be seen whether he, emerging as Kiwoom's new guardian, will be able to earn his value in salary negotiations like other rookie closers in the league.