A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 520

The New Guy in the Baseball Team is Too Good – Chapter 520

The New Guy in the Baseball Team is Too Good – Chapter 520

110. I’m Originally Very Greedy (4)

Major League teams usually hold face-to-face negotiations in luxury hotels.

Ji-seop initially thought it was just a Major League affectation, but there was a reason for it.

First, it was a sign of respect for the negotiation partner. Unlike the team’s offices, there were fewer reporters coming and going, so there was less worry about information leaks.

And most importantly, there was no need to be bound by time. They could continue negotiations regardless of whether it was one or two in the morning.

‘Hehe, of course, it’s not exactly a pleasant experience from the perspective of the person in charge of negotiations.’

The same was true on this day, with the trade deadline fast approaching.

From around 8 PM, Ji-seop had been continuing negotiations at a hotel in downtown St. Petersburg.

Negotiations to acquire Vincent Hyama, the very player most beloved by Tampa Bay Rays fans.

Naturally, the person sitting across from Ji-seop that day was New York Yankees General Manager Nicholas Byner II.

“Haha, this is something else…”

It must have been a little past 11 PM then.

Ji-seop handed his negotiation partner an energy drink and continued the conversation.

“Wow, this is a real discovery, isn’t it? I didn’t realize. Who knew our Nicholas was such a warm-hearted person.”

“…Are you being sarcastic?”

When Byner raised an eyebrow, Ji-seop quickly waved his hand.

“No, not at all. I’m just a little surprised. Isn’t Yankees’ Steinbrenner famous for being ruthless? To go against such a fearsome owner to protect Vincent Hyama…”

“Vincent was a special player even for the Yankees. I think Kim knows that well.”

“That’s right. That’s true.”

Nodding quietly, Ji-seop put down his drink and asked again.

“But the fact that you came to see me like this today… Does that mean the negotiations with Vincent didn’t go well? Did he say he couldn’t give up on being a two-way player?”

This happened that morning.

Nicholas Byner, who wanted to keep Vincent on the team at all costs, made one last attempt to negotiate with Vincent Hyama, who was doing pitching practice.

‘Please give up on being a two-way player. Focus on either hitting or pitching. Then we can continue to go together in the future.’

It was clearly a negotiation to convey such a message, but somehow General Manager Nicholas Byner’s reaction was lukewarm.

“Ah, well, the truth is…”

After looking up at the ceiling with a look of dismay, he finally said one word.

“I didn’t even bring up the two-way player thing. No, the conversation itself ended very quickly.”

“No, why?”

When Ji-seop tilted his head, Byner gave a bitter smile.

“I went into the indoor bullpen to have a conversation… Damn it, what kind of coincidence was it that it caught my eye at that moment.”

“What?”

“It was his wallet. Vincent’s wallet. His wallet, carelessly tossed on the bullpen bench, really caught my eye.”

Most people might have just passed it by lightly.

Maybe they would have added a word or two about taking good care of it in case it got lost.

But General Manager Byner was famous for his keen eye since his graduate school days. That’s why he said he could see it very clearly.

“There was a baseball card stuck inside the wallet, you know? In that transparent pocket where you put things like ID cards.”

“A baseball card?”

“Yes, I could tell at a glance. It was a baseball card that was traded at a pretty high price. Was it six years ago from now? The season when the Tampa Bay Rays won their first championship…”

Byner clicked his tongue.

“It was a commemorative card with pictures of the Tampa Bay’s key players at the time.”

“…Ah.”

It was at this moment that a slightly troubled smile flashed across Ji-seop’s face.

It’s the same for ordinary people, but baseball players often keep items with special meaning in their wallets.

Some put in their debut game ticket, others insert a legend’s autograph, and others keep pictures of their families far away in their hometown.

There was a baseball card in such a place. A card commemorating the Tampa Bay Rays’ first championship.

This is,

What does it mean?

“Although quite a bit of time has passed, the Tampa Bay Rays still seem to have a special meaning for Vincent Hyama.”

Byner said.

“The time he spent in Tampa Bay was only about three months… Yeah, honestly, I don’t understand. I feel a bit sad as a person. But people’s hearts can’t be explained mathematically.”

Ji-seop was just nodding silently.

“This trade seemed like good news for Vincent. So I didn’t say anything more to him and contacted Kim right away.”

“Ah, that’s how it happened.”

Ji-seop thought that Vincent Hyama was a really lucky player.

Players and the front office, it’s basically a business relationship. They have no choice but to move in the direction that guarantees even a little more profit.

But General Manager Nicholas Byner was making a choice that considered the player’s feelings.

‘Someday I should tell Vincent Hyama about today’s negotiations,’ Ji-seop thought, and then he opened his mouth.

“You’ve decided to send Vincent away… Then you could have just called. It’s not a short distance from New York to here.”

In response to Ji-seop’s question, Nicholas Byner shrugged and replied.

“I thought it was necessary to have a face-to-face negotiation. I thought that’s the only way we could come to a conclusion tonight.”

“Tonight? Is there a reason to come to a conclusion tonight? There are still about three days left until the trade deadline…”

The next moment, this warm-hearted general manager of the New York Yankees pointed out something that Ji-seop hadn’t even thought of.

“According to the schedule, tomorrow is Brett Evans’s home game debut, right?”

“Ah?”

“If possible, it would be meaningful for Vincent to return to his ‘hometown’ with Brett Evans…”

“Wow, you even thought of that?”

Ji-seop stood up without realizing it and grabbed Byner’s hands.

“Wow, Nicholas! I’m completely touched right now. Really!”

“Hey, why are you doing this again.”

Byner tried to pull his hand away as if embarrassed, but Ji-seop grabbed his hand even more tightly and shook it.

“I’ve known you since school, but you’re a really thoughtful front office person. You have no flaws. Ah, just one thing…”

“What, are you going to make fun of my hair again?”

Ji-seop calmly replied to Byner, who asked with a sullen expression.

“No? I was going to say that you belong to the Yankees? That’s the only flaw… Why?”

Ji-seop made a playful expression.

“Do you have a guilty conscience or something?”

“Oh, this guy, really…”

Nicholas Byner, who was staring blankly at Ji-seop as if he was dumbfounded, finally let out a deep sigh.

“Okay, okay. Stop talking nonsense and sit down. We still have a lot to discuss, don’t we?”

“Hehe, that’s right. Then now…”

Ji-seop looked at his negotiation partner with shining eyes.

“Shall we start matching cards in earnest [start serious negotiations]?”

* * *

The Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees.

The blockbuster trade between the two American League East rival teams was announced the next morning.

From the Tampa Bay Rays, three players, including Noah Gartel, who was ranked 42nd in this season’s prospect rankings, would be moving to the team.

In return, the New York Yankees offered pitcher Brandon Schnerstein from Triple-A [Minor League Baseball] and Vincent Hyama from the Major League.

In fact, even on this morning alone, there were about six or seven major trades in the Major League, but people’s attention was focused entirely on Vincent Hyama and the Tampa Bay Rays.

-Wow, this is really a blockbuster trade! It’s a completely unexpected move!

Baseball experts who appeared on special broadcasts looked shocked.

-It’s Tampa Bay, who are challenging for their third consecutive championship. So I expected some strengthening of their power… But Vincent Hyama!

-Even if the Yankees provide some salary assistance, Vincent is a player who receives an annual salary of $35 million. Wow, the Tampa Bay Rays are no longer a small market team!

-Well, he’s definitely a great player. But did the current Tampa Bay really need him? Wow, this is really hard to judge?

Opinions were divided among the experts. The atmosphere was such that it was difficult to reach a conclusion.

‘Even if it’s rotten, it’s still a crucian carp’ [Even something flawed has value]. Vincent, who can hit 20 home runs a year, will be a great help in terms of power.

‘Even a grasshopper only hops in its season’ [Everything has its time]. Some evaluations said that signing a 34-year-old veteran who is already past his prime was a mistake.

With this trade, a debate was opened in the baseball world, but at least for Tampa Bay Rays fans, such discussions did not have much meaning.

-Vincent!!!

Immediately after the trade was announced, the Tampa Bay Rays’ internet fan page was in an uproar.

-Wow, what am I looking at right now? Vincent is coming back? Vincent Hyama?!

-I knew it! I knew it from before! I said that Vincent would come back to Tampa Bay someday!

-Wait, wasn’t there a game at Clark Wise Field today? It’s Brett Evans’s debut game?

-So can we see Brett Evans and Vincent Hyama today?!

Thousands of comments were posted on the Tampa Bay Rays’ fan page in an instant.

The ticket prices for Tampa Bay’s home game that day began to soar on the secondary ticket sales site.

Some impatient people seemed to have chosen to run to the stadium altogether.

People with Vincent Hyama and Brett Evans’s uniforms showed up around the stadium from early in the morning.

“Oh, there he comes! It’s Vincent!”

At the same time, at the VIP parking lot of Tampa International Airport, the Tampa Bay Rays people were welcoming their former ace.

“Hey, Vincent! Vincent!”

“This way! This way!”

When the team staff waved their hands, Vincent Hyama, who was walking with the bodyguards, took off his sunglasses.

He narrowed his eyes and raised his hand to the people who came to greet him, and suddenly he looked surprised.

Perhaps it was because there were people he hadn’t even expected to be there.

John Larma Taylor, the acting owner of the Tampa Bay Rays, and smiling brightly next to him was-

“…Kim?!”

Vincent ran over in one stride.

“No, Kim! How did you come all the way here? Isn’t this a busy time for you to prepare for the game?”

“I’m busy. It’s a busy time. It’s the time to run through the stadium corridors with my eyebrows fluttering [being extremely busy].”

Ji-seop was joking.

“But no matter how busy I am, shouldn’t I come out? Our Tampa Bay Rays’ best ace is coming back.”

“Haha, ace. Don’t you know, Kim? Now I’m just barely rotating [a regular player].”

Vincent Hyama scratched the back of his ear with his finger as if embarrassed.

But only for a moment, he looked at Ji-seop with a determined expression.

“But the Tampa Bay Rays have called me back… I will really do my best in the game. I can promise you that much.”

It would have been the best answer he could give as a returning ace.

John Larma, who was standing next to him, nodded with a pleased expression at the answer he gave with a clenched fist.

But at this time, Ji-seop was narrowing his eyes and reacting like this.

“No, that’s not enough.”

“Yes?”

Vincent’s eyes widened.

“Doing your best is not enough. You have to do well. The way you showed us in the Tampa Bay Rays before… I signed you again thinking about that.”

“If it’s the old days, are you talking about when the Tampa Bay Rays won their first championship?”

Vincent Hyama tilted his head at the president’s sudden order.

Ji-seop stared at him quietly with meaningful eyes, and then opened his mouth.

“Yes, I’m a very greedy person. I’m going to put you back in the best position once again.”

“Wh, what does that mean…”

Vincent looked like he wanted to ask something more, but Ji-seop put his hand on his shoulder.

“But let’s talk about that later, and let’s focus on today’s game first. For today’s game, Manager Brett Evans said he wants to use you as the 3rd designated hitter…”

Ji-seop smiled slightly.

“How about it, can I look forward to it?”

“M, Manager Brett Evans?”

Vincent seemed to hesitate for a moment.

Was he happy to hear the name Brett Evans? Or did he sense the passage of time from the title of manager?

After feeling a stuffy feeling for a while, Vincent Hyama followed Ji-seop and showed a bright smile.

“Of course.”

He nodded coolly.

“The manager’s home game debut… I will definitely lead it to victory.”