A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 64

The Tough Ones (4)

Two days later.

Seo Chang-gi, the general manager of the KH Cannons, was in a meeting with the operations team.

“There were no special mentions.”

Said the head of the operations team.

“I contacted Chun Jin-woo’s agent and met with an informant familiar with the Warriors’ internal affairs, but… I couldn’t get the feeling that Chun Jin-woo had a no-trade clause.”

“Is that so?”

Seo Chang-gi clasped his hands together, groaning.

“Then, the Warriors tried to force the Chun Jin-woo trade even by engaging in backroom dealings… How should we interpret that?”

“Well, that’s… Wouldn’t it be that Warriors GM Hong was underestimating our Cannons?”

The operations team leader gave a bitter smile.

“I’m a little embarrassed to say this, but… weren’t our Cannons often taken advantage of by the Warriors during CEO Choi’s time? From GM Hong’s perspective, those memories must still be vivid.”

“Hmm.”

“Anyway, General Manager, this is Korea, not Major League Baseball in the United States.”

The operations team leader continued.

“Chun Jin-woo didn’t exactly leave us on good terms, did he? But to set up a no-trade clause and leave open the possibility of returning to the Cannons…”

“That’s overreaching?”

“I think so.”

The operations team leader nodded.

“We already have evidence that the Warriors engaged in backroom dealings. If we use this well, shouldn’t we be able to lead this trade favorably?”

“Hmm, so that’s everyone’s opinion…”

*I see.*

Seo Chang-gi checked the time on his phone screen.

“It’s almost time for the Warriors people to arrive.”

He put his phone in his jacket pocket and continued.

“Let’s get up too.”

* * *

KH Cannons and Yoosung Warriors.

It was about 20 minutes later that the two teams’ front offices sat face to face.

“Nice to see you, GM Seo.”

“It’s been a while, GM Hong.”

The negotiations began with a handshake between the two team’s general managers.

In fact, even at this point, General Manager Seo Chang-gi didn’t have much attachment.

The possibility of a ‘no-trade clause’ that Ji-seop had raised two days ago.

*If it’s true that a no-trade clause has been set up… it could definitely be a decisive blow for us.*

However, the Cannons front office staff, including the operations team leader, viewed that possibility as very low.

*It’s true that Kim Ji-seop has some clever aspects, but the knowledge and experience of the operations team members cannot be ignored either. It would be the right choice to follow the majority opinion here.*

The Cannons know that the Warriors front office engaged in backroom dealings.

The strategy was to gain an advantage in the trade negotiations in exchange for not reporting this to the association.

However, this strategy began to falter from the very beginning.

“Before we begin full-scale negotiations… I’d like to start by offering an apology.”

Yoosung Warriors GM Hong Yu-il made the first move.

“Recently, a post about the trade negotiations between the two teams was uploaded to the internet…”

GM Hong Yu-il ran his finger over his lips.

“As a result of an internal investigation, it was found that the person who leaked the information to the author of the post was one of our Warriors’ special aides to the general manager.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yes, so before coming to this meeting, we reported the matter to the association. I expect the association’s disciplinary decision to be made as early as this week.”

“W-wait a minute, General Manager!”

It was perhaps natural that the Cannons’ operations team leader jumped up from his seat.

“So, what you’re saying, General Manager, is that the association’s disciplinary proceedings for this matter have already begun?”

“Oh, Team Leader Park! Why are you so surprised? Isn’t this a very natural thing to do?”

GM Hong Yu-il said that, but his face was full of composure.

“Negotiations between clubs are all about confidentiality… Our Warriors are not so brazen as to break that important principle and deny it.”

“W-well, I suppose so…”

The Cannons’ front office staff, including the operations team leader, looked as if they had been hit hard.

The negotiation would be easier if the Warriors came out in a humble manner, ‘Please, cover this up.’

But now that they had already reported everything to the association, it was as if the Cannons had been deprived of a powerful weapon.

“G-General Manager, what do we do now…”

The Cannons’ operations team leader seemed very embarrassed.

Seo Chang-gi, who was receiving his gaze, didn’t have any brilliant ideas at the moment.

While the Cannons were unable to come up with a proper response, Warriors GM Hong Yu-il continued the story.

“Ah, of course, just because we are subject to the association’s disciplinary action doesn’t mean we will evade our moral responsibility for this matter.”

Then, GM Hong turned the laptop screen towards the Cannons.

“As an apology to the Cannons, who must have suffered from this incident, we have adjusted the trade cards like this…”

Seo Chang-gi, who was looking at the laptop screen, muttered in a low voice.

“It’s a change from a 2-for-1 trade to a 1-for-1 trade.”

“That’s right, General Manager.”

GM Hong smiled slightly.

“Considering Chun Jin-woo’s skills and experience, a 2-for-1 trade is a bit of a waste… Well, since things have turned out this way, there’s nothing we can do.”

“…….”

“A young outfielder who is evaluated as a good prospect but hasn’t shown anything in the first team yet, and a national team catcher who can stabilize a team’s defense in an instant… I think this is an exchange ratio that the Cannons can be satisfied with.”

What do you think?

GM Hong of the Warriors looked around at the Cannons’ front office staff.

At that moment, Director Seo Chang-gi could hear the quiet sounds coming from his subordinates sitting next to him.

“Hoo.”

It was a sigh.

A sigh of relief.

They had been nervous about what kind of offer the Warriors, who were willing to face disciplinary action from the association, would make, but it seemed everyone judged that a surprisingly reasonable condition had been presented.

“…….”

The Cannons’ operations team leader was also nodding his head almost imperceptibly.

It seemed there was no need to confirm the opinions of the front office staff, and all that remained was Director Seo Chang-gi’s decision.

‘……Is this a fairly smooth condition?’

As a result, what was a 2-for-1 trade had been changed to a 1-for-1 trade.

The Cannons were usually dragged around by other teams whenever they made a trade.

Considering the past, a good condition that could be evaluated as ‘excellent’ was laid out before Director Seo’s eyes.

But at that very moment, this thought flashed through Director Seo’s mind.

‘Is this…… okay?’

Director Seo, who had been with the Cannons for a long time, was vaguely aware.

The fact that the team was changing.

The fact that the team was getting better.

In the past, he would have been helplessly swayed by executives from the group’s affiliates.

He wouldn’t have been able to say a word even after seeing the ‘gossipmonger’ leaking information.

But when he came to his senses, the Cannons had become a team that had swept away all those evils at once.

‘I’m a person in the middle of such a change…….’

Is this okay?

Should he be satisfied with resolving things smoothly and quietly as before?

If the team is changing like this, shouldn’t I, as the director, be more ambitious for the team?

When his thoughts reached this point, someone’s words came to Director Seo’s mind.

-It’s just a simple hunch, but I think it’s worth trying.

It was Ji-seop’s words.

-If the trade veto is true, and Chun Jin-woo is refusing to transfer to any team other than the Cannons…… then we can squeeze the Warriors dry.

In a way, it was a funny thing.

The fact that he, who had lived as a baseball team’s front office member for almost 20 years, was listening to the words of a mere interpreter.

But what was even funnier was that he, who was usually so serious, was feeling a desire to do as the interpreter said, ‘bubbling’ inside him.

‘Hehe, what kind of harmony is this?’

Director Seo Chang-gi smiled wryly to himself.

When he raised his head again, a strange light was swirling in his eyes.

“Director Hong.”

“Yes, please speak.”

“I’m sorry to say this, but our Cannons cannot accept the conditions you mentioned.”

“Yes?!”

Director Hong’s eyes widened.

Director Seo Chang-gi stared at his expression and continued.

“If you want to take our team’s promising outfielder, I think you’ll have to add a draft pick to Chun Jin-woo to make the calculations match.”

“A, a draft pick too?”

Even more surprised than Director Hong were the Cannons’ front office staff.

“D, Director?”

“Wh, what is…….”

Director Seo Chang-gi reached out a hand to calm the flustered staff.

With a calm expression, he turned his gaze to the Warriors’ front office.

“I’m willing to talk more about which round of draft pick we’ll receive, but in any case, Chun Jin-woo alone won’t do.”

“Hehe, I didn’t expect you to come out like this…….”

Director Hong Yoo-il scratched his forehead with his finger.

“Director Seo, we are discussing the trade of Chun Jin-woo right now.”

“…….”

“He was once a symbol of the Cannons, and he is still considered a top national team player. He is a player who receives the love of Cannons fans and is the player Director Seo trusts the most.”

Director Hong’s tongue rolled smoothly.

“If you undervalue such a player like this, we have no choice but to set up a negotiation table with other teams. This is an opportunity for Chun Jin-woo to burn his last flame in his parent team…… Are you going to throw this away? Is that okay?”

Director Hong Yoo-il, who once played with the Cannons’ front office like a child.

He tried to sway the other person’s heart with his splendid eloquence, but Director Seo Chang-gi didn’t even twitch an eyebrow.

Rather, the earnest persuasion made the vague prediction in his heart even more solid.

So Director Seo Chang-gi was able to open his mouth with a more confident attitude than ever before.

“Yes, it doesn’t matter.”

It was Director Seo Chang-gi’s words.

“If you think our Cannons’ offer is excessive, contact other teams right now. We don’t care even if you do.”

“Th, that’s…… really?”

It was at this moment that Director Hong Yoo-il’s voice, which was always relaxed, began to tremble slightly.

“R, are you really okay with it? Are you saying that it doesn’t matter if the trade discussion falls through like this?”

“Why are you making me repeat the same story several times? We are willing to wait as long as it takes. Until the Warriors have listened to the offers of all the other teams.”

Or what?

Director Seo Chang-gi clasped his hands together and opened his mouth.

“Is there any special reason why you have to send Chun Jin-woo to our Cannons……?”

“Th, th, that is…….”

Director Hong Yoo-il’s face turned white.

It was the moment when the initiative of the negotiation passed to KH Cannons.