Samsung pitcher Kim Dae-woo said, "I feel more responsible."
He signed a free agent (FA) contract for the first time in his life, and after two years of dating, he also got married.
Kim Dae-woo, who became an FA after the 2023 season, signed a two-year contract worth 400 million won (34,000 U.S. dollars) with Samsung. He is entitled to a down payment of 100 million won, an annual salary of 200 million won, and an option of 100 million won.
Although it is not big enough, the deal is meaningful to Kim. Kim Dae-woo, who joined Nexen Heroes (currently Kiwoom) in 2011 and started his professional career, signed his first contract as an FA in his 13th year as a pro.
After a year of postponement, I became an FA.
Kim Dae-woo took a comma after the 2021 season. Due to poor elbow conditions, he underwent surgery to remove bone fragments in his right elbow.
As rehabilitation took longer than expected, he returned to the first division at the end of September 2022, and only played four games. As a result, he gave up applying for FA.
In the 2023 season, Kim Dae-woo was like a "salt" on the mound at Samsung. He pitched in 44 games (five starts) and lost two and posted an earned run average of 4.50 with four holds.
At the end of the season, Kim Dae-woo again qualified as an FA, and this time exercised his rights.
He applied for an FA but had no intention of leaving Samsung. "I wanted to remain at Samsung. My fans were passionate and I had many good memories in Daegu," Kim said. "I wanted to remain there somehow."
He is now the breadwinner of a family. Kim Dae-woo and Jeon Na-hyeon signed a family affair on Dec. 10 last year. They met through the introduction of their acquaintances, and after two years of dating, their love came to fruition.
Kim Dae-woo laughed, saying, "I got to marry someone who was a strong supporter next to me during a difficult time. Now that I'm married, I feel more responsible and I think I should work hard."
Born in 1988, he was born in the year of the dragon. This year is the Year of the Blue Dragon.
"I didn't feel anything special about the year of the dragon. But I'm grateful to have been able to play as a baseball player so far," Kim said.
Looking back on the 2023 season, Kim Dae-woo said he was disappointed.
"Players always talk about results. There were many games that we could win, but it was a disappointing year," he said. "As a veteran, I had to pay more attention to the atmosphere of the team, but I lacked a little. Most of all, I am disappointed in the team's performance (8th place)."
Depending on the team's situation, it was not easy to go to the starting pitcher and bullpen. Kim Dae-woo confessed, "Honestly, it's hard to change the position."
"I just do my best in my given role. I don't know about my job next year, but I'm going to do my best in the given situation," he stressed.
Samsung, which finished last year with a 5.16 ERA in the bullpen, worked hard to reinforce the bullpen this offseason.
In November last year, he signed a four-year, maximum 5.8 billion won FA contract with Kim Jae-yoon, who played as a closing pitcher for the KT Wiz. Through the second draft, he nominated left-hander Choi Sung-hoon and underhander Yang Hyun, and even brought in right-hander Lee Min-ho, who was released from the NC Dinos.
Earlier this month, he signed a two-year FA contract with veteran Lim Chang-min, who also has experience as a closer, for a total of 800 million won.
Kim Dae-woo also has high expectations on the bullpen session. "There are many new faces. I'm looking forward to the Lions," he said. "If (Oh) Seung-hwan signs a contract, he will have as many as three closing pitchers. With good new faces coming from outside, I think the bullpen session will be able to gain strength."
The increase in good bullpen resources also means that Kim Dae-woo has to overcome more fierce competition.
"I was in a position to compete every year. I will do my best to survive the fiercer competition this year," Kim said.
Kim Dae-woo, who has a lot of job shifts, did not set his goal for this year as a figure. The biggest goal is to play full time without injury. I also dream of the team advancing to the postseason.
"It's not easy to aim for a certain record because there is no fixed position," Kim said. "That's why I aimed to play in as many games as possible without getting sick."
"Autumn baseball is definitely my goal. I want to do it, and I have to do it. I will play without letting go of my tension," he said.