A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 163

43. Trade, Season No. 1 (1)

KH Cannons General Manager Seo Chang-gi.

His hobby was going to the sauna.

More precisely, it was enjoying a sauna at [Jangsu Bulgama Korean Sauna 24 Hours] near the baseball stadium a little after 4 a.m.

“Puhuh!”

It wasn’t a very old hobby.

He used to think spending time in bathhouses was a waste.

But about a year after being appointed as the Cannons’ general manager, one of his fellow general managers strongly recommended the sauna to him.

Future Kings’ General Manager Oh Jin-han, known in the industry as the ‘Sauna Evangelist’.

‘Take my word for it and go! The sauna is the best! There’s nothing better for relieving fatigue and stress!’

At first, General Manager Seo Chang-gi thought, ‘What’s all the fuss about just taking a bath?’

But now, he couldn’t even go to work if he didn’t go to the sauna.

His fellow general manager’s recommendation was true.

Compared to other hobbies, it cost almost nothing, there was nothing to prepare or learn separately, and yet it really got rid of stress for sure.

In fact, this alone would have made it the best hobby, but on this day, General Manager Seo Chang-gi was realizing another charm of the ‘early morning sauna’.

“Ki, Special Agent Kim! Is that really true?!”

That is, he could shout as much as he wanted without worrying about what other people thought.

It was a perk that could be enjoyed because even the sauna attendant hadn’t come to work yet.

“Guardians’ Ma Kang-sik… is requesting to be released from the team?!”

* * *

Still, he must have had a ‘just in case’ feeling.

General Manager Seo Chang-gi looked around to see if there was anyone around, then came back into the sauna and slapped Ji-seop’s back with a ‘smack’.

“As expected, it’s Special Agent Kim! I really have a knack for recognizing people!”

General Manager Seo was grinning from ear to ear.

“There are many who are famous in the baseball world… but Kim is the only one who can get this kind of high-level information from the great reporter Hwang Young-joo! Isn’t that right?”

“Oh, what are you talking about.”

Ji-seop quickly waved his hand.

“Reporter Hwang wouldn’t have given me that information because of me. It’s all thanks to the General Manager for saving Reporter Hwang’s face.”

“Hehe, don’t say things you don’t know. Do you know how many people in our team have tried to look good to Reporter Hwang?”

General Manager Seo smiled gently.

“But none of them have ever gotten this kind of information. This is entirely because you have properly built a relationship of trust with Reporter Hwang.”

“…….”

“Well done. Really well done. I will definitely report this to the acting owner.”

*I think he’s going to nag me to stop praising you.*

General Manager Seo, who was making a strange expression and chuckling, soon narrowed his brows slightly and asked Ji-seop.

“Anyway, what happened?”

It was the main point of the day.

“The Ma Kang-sik I know isn’t the kind of person who would ask the team to release him? He’s diligent by default, and his loyalty to the team is very high…”

He added that he had taken on the team’s dirty work when UB Guardians’ power wasn’t what it is now.

If there was a hole in the starting rotation, he would be a starting pitcher, and if there was a problem in the bullpen, he would be a middle relief pitcher.

He even had experience as a closing pitcher, although it was rare.

He was even given the unsavory nickname ‘Ma Kang-soe’ [a play on his name and ‘Kang-soe’ meaning ‘iron ore’, implying he’s a workhorse] because he looked like a farmhand.

Why did such a player suddenly ask the team to release him?

“I think Guardians’ coach Choi made a bit of an unreasonable move this time.”

“Unreasonable? What?”

“After the end of last season, coach Choi ordered Ma Kang-sik to fully convert to a starting pitcher.”

He had been ‘working part-time’ here and there, but Ma Kang-sik’s original position was middle relief.

Guardians coach Choi ordered Ma Kang-sik to change his position.

“Ma Kang-sik said he prepared to switch to a starter according to the coach’s instructions. He showed some good pitching in practice games. But…”

“Hmm, I’m getting a sense of it.”

General Manager Seo nodded.

“He was ordered to go back to middle relief? You know, two Guardians bullpen pitchers were out for the season due to injuries just before the season opener.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

When Ji-seop nodded, General Manager Seo made a slightly troubled expression.

“Heo, he asked the team to release him for that reason? That’s a bit of a difficult story to understand.”

Inside the hot sauna.

General Manager Seo wiped the sweat flowing down his face with his palm.

“If it’s an entry vacancy due to injury, not for any other reason… Isn’t that something coach Choi would have mentioned at least once? That’s how I see it.”

“…….”

“Of course, the player may feel wronged. But if you talk it out with the coaching staff, it’ll be fine, but you’re asking to be released for this?”

General Manager Seo, who couldn’t understand it easily.

Of course, Ji-seop knew the more accurate reason.

“I think Ma Kang-sik could have reacted a little sensitively. It’s the season after he came back from surgery, after all.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

General Manager Seo nodded.

“That friend had elbow surgery, right? He didn’t come out all season and returned in the postseason. Then it can be a bit burdensome.”

“Yes, and… when he asked to continue playing as a starter, coach Choi seems to have said some harsh things to Ma Kang-sik.”

“Harsh words? What?”

When General Manager Seo turned his head and asked, Ji-seop told him what Ma Kang-sik had heard from the coach.

‘Before complaining to the coach, you need to look back at your skills first.’

‘Starter or bullpen. If you had done any of them perfectly, would I have given you these instructions?’

‘If you’re going to blame someone, you should blame your skills first. Why are you coming to the coach and venting your anger?’

He joined the team as a high school rookie and has been there for exactly 11 years.

That was the reason why a man called UB Guardians’ ‘farmhand’ decided to leave the team.

* * *

“Hoo, I’m feeling a little better now.”

It was about 30 minutes later that Seo Chang-gi came out of the bathhouse.

He originally planned to stay for more than an hour, but he couldn’t concentrate on the sauna that day.

A ‘major accident’ had happened to a rival team competing for the league championship, so as the Cannons’ general manager, he couldn’t help but feel restless.

“Special Agent Kim, was it three days from now? The date Reporter Hwang is scheduled to upload the article?”

While sitting on the changing room bench and putting on his socks, General Manager Seo asked Ji-seop.

“Yes, I heard it will be uploaded at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.”

Ji-seop, who was jumping in place to pull on his pants.

Ji-seop barely pulled up his pants and looked at General Manager Seo with a changed expression.

“Are you going to push for a trade…?”

“I have to. I’d be a fool if I didn’t in this situation.”

General Manager Seo, who had finished putting on his socks, reached for the dress shirt hanging in the closet.

“A pitcher who can be a starter, a relief pitcher, and even a closer in an emergency… I think coach Freeman will tell me to bring him in right away?”

The strategic value of pitcher Ma Kang-sik is significant.

In addition, the current situation was favorable to the Cannons.

“A coach poured out abusive language to a pitcher who has been dedicated to the team for over 10 years? UB Guardians would never want this kind of article to come out.”

If it were another reporter, the PR team could have made a suitable ‘deal’.

But the opponent is Hwang Jo-mi.

A person whose clumsy attempts at negotiation could lead to worse results.

In this situation, UB Guardians had few options to choose from.

“In fact, the only answer is a trade.”

That was what General Manager Seo said.

“The best thing to do is to send the player to another team as soon as possible. Hold an introductory press conference, give an interview saying you’re sad to see him go… It would be even better if he could play in a game wearing the changed uniform.”

To induce a noisy atmosphere surrounding the problematic player for a while.

To spread the message to people that the player has decided to do his best with a new mindset at a new team.

If this happens, even Hwang Jo-mi, the best in the world, will not be able to release the prepared ‘exposure article’ rashly.

*’It’s all over, and the injured player has barely recovered, so why the sudden belatedness?’* Not only industry people but also fans can be criticized.

Since the league was established, teams have been avoiding the threat of the media in this way.

“The situation is favorable in many ways, but… time is running out. We should hurry a little.”

“Yes, I understand, General Manager.”

Ji-seop nodded.

“I’ll contact the operations team and the power analysis team. Should I schedule the meeting for 2 p.m. today?”

The routine that always took place when trade talks came up.

However, General Manager Seo seemed to be planning to proceed with this trade in a slightly different way.

“No, I don’t think we’ll have time for that. I’m thinking of visiting UB Guardians this morning.”

“Oh, this morning?”

Ji-seop’s eyes widened, but all that came back was General Manager Seo’s very natural reaction.

“I just said that time is running out and we need to hurry. But where do we have time to sit around and have meetings?”

“…….”

“Besides, this matter will be useless the moment it becomes known to other teams. I’m not suspecting the operations team leader or the power analysis team leader, but it’s necessary to reduce the number of people who know about this as much as possible.”

“Th, that means…”

Ji-seop scratched the back of his head.

“Are you saying that you will proceed with this trade alone, General Manager?”

A ‘trade that even the working-level staff didn’t know about’ that he had only heard about since joining the baseball team.

Ji-seop felt a little embarrassed when it became a reality before his eyes.

*I’ve always been working with the cooperation of other teams…*

To handle the major issue of trade without borrowing the judgment of ‘Black Curtain Cha Cha’ or receiving the analysis briefing from Go Chang-deok.

Ji-seop felt a little burdened, but General Manager Seo seemed to have something to believe in.

“I’m not doing it all by myself. I have Special Agent Kim, don’t I?”

“Yes?”

“I remember. I remember the insight you showed when you brought in Cheon Jin-woo from Yuseong Warriors.”

General Manager Seo still seemed to remember what happened last season clearly.

When Ji-seop was coach Arthur Freeman’s exclusive interpreter, what happened in the trade of Cheon Jin-woo.

“The fact that Cheon Jin-woo had trade rejection rights set up… you were the only one in our team who noticed that, Special Agent Kim, wasn’t it?”

“…….”

“I’m a veteran in the industry, and if we add your insight to that, I think we can thoroughly rip off UB Guardians…”

General Manager Seo smiled.

“What do you think?”

In a way, it’s a story about trusting Ji-seop and trying this trade.

Ji-seop, who was embarrassed at first, was now filled with a firm heart.

“Yes, I understand, General Manager.”

Ji-seop replied.

“Let’s start by heading to the stadium. As soon as we arrive, I’ll narrow down the list of tradable players…”

Ji-seop was about to leave through the sauna door.

General Manager Seo raised both hands to calm Ji-seop down.

“Special Agent Kim, wait a minute, wait a minute.”

“Yes?”

“No matter how busy we are…”

General Manager Seo pointed to the sauna door.

The sauna attendant, who had just come to work, was opening the lock on the beverage refrigerator with a ‘click’.

“Shouldn’t we each have a banana milk before we go?”

General Manager Seo continued.

“We came to the sauna anyway.”