“He played better than I thought. I think he is a player who will definitely help Lotte win the championship this year.”
This is what a Lotte Giants official said to veteran Cha Woo-chan (36).
It was the core of the Samsung Lions dynasty. He was a starting pitcher boasting 9.5 billion won in 4 years, the highest ever free agent amount for a standard pitcher at the time. He handled his starting and bullpen well according to the command tower’s instructions. Above all, he was one of the most durable players in the league. He was the pillar of the LG Twins, who pitched 541 innings for three years from 2017 to 2019 and posted double-digit wins for three consecutive years. This is the reason why a 3-year, 2 billion won FA contract was made again despite the aftermath of the injury.
The advance team arrived in Guam 10 days earlier than the spring camp main unit, which departed on the 1st. In warm weather with daytime temperatures exceeding 30 degrees, he is concentrating on exercising smoothly.
Even now, his athletic ability is one of the best in the Lotte team. Despite his considerable age, he runs better than his juniors and moves agilely.
But the shoulder is the problem. Cha Woo-chan was out of the season due to shoulder pain after the 2020 season, and returned for a while in the spring of 2021 ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, played as a national team member, and then went out of season again. 토토사이트 A harrowing diagnosis followed: a torn shoulder muscle and joint and labrum injuries.
After undergoing shoulder surgery, he devoted himself to rehabilitation, but eventually had to leave LG. Afterwards, he pledged his last challenge and wore a Lotte uniform at the de facto minimum annual salary of 50 million won.
The Lotte team is full of potential, but it is still young. It is the gaze looking at veterans, including Cha Woo-chan, that he wants to fill in that regrettable part, know-how.