Two foreign batters proven in the KBO League have been lifted. It can be a strong insurance policy for teams that need to replace foreign batters during next season. 메이저놀이터

KIA broke up with outfielder Socrates Brito, who has been with him for three years, on the 26th, when he recruited Patrick Wisdom, a 88-homer "big shot" in the Major League as a new foreign hitter. Although Socrates was included in the list of players on hold, KIA has made a grand decision to release the right to hold because it highly appreciated its contribution. 

Foreign players in the KBO League have a five-year right to hold a foreign player's contract. According to the Korea Baseball Organization`s foreign player contract chapter 10, "foreign players who refuse to renew contract with their original team cannot join a Korean batting team for the next five years, and can transfer with exceptions if the original team agrees to do so." 

The foreign player's right to withhold rights is aimed at preventing a rise in ransom and intentional negligence. It is a safe measure for the club, but it is also used as a trick to prevent its transfer to the league since it has no intention of renewing the contract. The KBO board of directors drastically reduced the period of withholding rights to two years in January 2014, but the period of withholding rights was restored to five years in June 2015. 

Since no one knows when or how he will return to the "boomerang," not a few teams are actively exercising the right to hold foreign players' rights. However, Kia gave up the right to hold players' rights, paving the way for Socrates to re-employment in the KBO. Currently, all 10 teams have finished forming foreign players, but there is a way for them to return as substitute players during this season. 

Socrates played a total of 409 games for Kia for three years from 2022, recording a batting average of .32 (487 hits in 1,613 at-bats) with 63 home runs, 270 RBIs and OPS.843. He also played a batting average of .310 (171 hits in 552 at-bats) in 140 games this year, contributing to Kia's overall win by posting .875 with 26 home runs, 97 RBIs, and 13 steals. 

However, it fell a little short of the average as a foreign hitter in the Tagotjeo season, and it has severe weaknesses, such as repeating its initial slump due to late preheating every year. Although defense is also falling, it can cover all three outfield positions, and it is stable as an alternative foreign card in that it is a proven hitter. 

Socrates is not the only one. There is also outfielder Ronnie Dawson, who Kiwoom released without exercising his right to hold. Dawson injured his right knee anterior cruciate ligament in a collision with center fielder Lee Yong-kyu during left field defense against Gocheok NC on July 31. As a result, he was out for the season after undergoing surgery and returned to the U.S. early. He can return to the U.S. around May to June next year due to a major injury that lasts 9 to 10 months of rehabilitation alone. 

There was a way to offer a contract renewal under low conditions, tie it with a hold and prepare for a return later, but Kiwoom did not force Dawson to hold on. Although he could not play early next season, he was still young at 29 years old, so he could expect a quick recovery and a long-term companion. However, he returned Yasiel Puig after three years and recruited Ruben Cardinez, who was controversial with Samsung, to complete the setting for next season with two foreign batters. 

Dawson, who joined Kiwoom as a substitute in July last year, has played a total of 152 games with a batting average of 3332 (or 203 hits in 611 at-bats) with 14 homers and 86 RBIs for OPS.887. For a foreign hitter, he has few homers, but he has good batting performance due to his compact swing and large number of doubles. Another factor is that he is a left-handed hitter who is strong against left-handed pitchers. As it has been fully verified in the KBO League, if he recovers from injury and finds a sense of actual play, several teams will likely be interested in him after June. 

In this year's KBO League, most foreign hitters from 10 teams performed well amid the introduction of ABS and strong pitching. Samsung's David MacKinnon and Doosan's Henry Ramos, who were kicked out of the team, also posted good ostensible records. Six foreign hitters (KT Mel Rojas Jr., LG Austin Dean, SSG Guillermo Herredia, Lotte Victor Reyes, NC Matt Davidson and Samsung's Lewin Diaz) have renewed their contracts for the next season, and chances of success are high. 

However, foreign players are in the area of relative evaluation, and hitters who are relatively disappointed will be replaced. It is much more difficult for foreign hitters to adapt to during the season, but having two proven substitute cards, Socrates and Dawson, can feel like a strong insurance policy for almost all teams. Both have good affinity and have melted well into Korean culture.