Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 116

All-Star Break (3)

After finishing the conversation with Michael Scott, Lee Joo-hyuk and I headed to a Korean restaurant near our hotel.

Choi Min-sung, the Buffaloes’ general manager, was already there, waiting for us.

“Come this way.”

“Sorry for being late. The previous meeting ran longer than expected.”

“Don’t worry about it. Isn’t that always the case with work?”

Even though he could have been annoyed by the long wait, Choi Min-sung remained cheerful.

As soon as Lee Joo-hyuk and I sat down, a series of dishes started arriving.

“Belated congratulations on becoming CEO Kang.”

“Thank you.”

“How is it being the head of an agency with such talented players?”

Choi Min-sung asked with a smile.

“It’s definitely a lot of pressure. There’s so much to do for the players.”

During the meal, the conversation was friendly and lighthearted.

After the meal, the conversation shifted gears. The real purpose of the meeting was about to begin.

“CEO Kang, you’re very busy, so coming all this way during the season must mean you have something important to discuss, right?” Choi Min-sung asked, probing gently.

He then mentioned two things:

-Their plan to replace their starting pitcher to aim for the championship next season.

-Their stress because the contract with the minor league pitcher wasn’t progressing as desired.

It seemed to me that the team that would need Michael Scott the most was likely the Pelicans, who were in the lower ranks, rather than the Buffaloes.

Playing for a bottom-tier team with a nearly collapsed starting lineup would be less pressure and provide more opportunities than playing for a team aiming for the championship.

However, there would be no reason to refuse if he could gain experience playing for a strong team.

“I found a promising pitcher. I came to sign a management contract before another company snatches him up.”

“Oh. I’m curious to know what kind of player CEO Kang has found.”

Choi Min-sung’s eyes sparkled.

“He’s a starting pitcher, a fireballer who can easily throw over 150 km/h [93 mph] on average.”

“Is he perhaps a left-handed pitcher?”

“Unfortunately, he’s a right-handed pitcher.”

If he were a left-handed fireballer, he would already have an agency.

“Left-handed pitchers are much more attractive, but a right-handed pitcher is sufficient if he’s skilled enough.”

“I don’t know what the Buffaloes will think, but he’s an exceptionally talented player. You definitely won’t regret it.”

As I answered confidently, Choi Min-sung’s eyes lit up with interest.

“If you say so, I’m getting excited. Where did you find such a player? It couldn’t have been easy to find a good player at this time.”

“I checked him out during the last spring training camp, and he hasn’t changed when I saw him play earlier.”

“If he pitched in the game earlier… is he a college baseball player?” Choi Min-sung asked, trying to recall with a surprised expression.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Um… you’re not joking, are you?”

Choi Min-sung chuckled in disbelief.

“Would I come all this way just to make jokes? He’s just in college right now, but he has enough potential.”

“No matter how much potential he has, isn’t he a pitcher without any minor league experience?”

“If he had participated in this year’s draft as planned, he would have minor league experience starting next year.”

“Haha. He doesn’t have any professional experience yet, does he? Can such a player do well in Korea? The Korean professional scene isn’t that easy.”

Choi Min-sung said with a nonchalant expression, unlike before.

“If my eyes aren’t mistaken, he can definitely do well, if he improves on a few things.”

“What are his stats like?”

At Choi Min-sung’s words, Lee Joo-hyuk quickly pulled out the data and handed it over.

Choi Min-sung carefully examined the data he received.

At first, he tilted his head, but gradually his brow furrowed.

“It seems like the number of innings is incorrect? Does this mean he can’t even handle an average of 2 innings per game?”

“He’s not guaranteed to be a starting pitcher right now. He’s in charge of long relief [pitching after the starting pitcher has been removed from the game].”

“Huh… a pitcher who isn’t guaranteed a starting position even in a league that’s not Triple-A [the highest level of Minor League Baseball]?”

“This player hasn’t shown his true worth yet.”

Even after hearing my words, Choi Min-sung’s brow didn’t seem to relax.

“That’s the problem. He’s not bad against right-handed hitters, but his batting average and on-base percentage against left-handed hitters are too high. He can’t play as a starter with that.”

“That’s why this player is being undervalued right now.”

Choi Min-sung put down the data and said with a puzzled expression.

“Can we give a starting position to a player like this? He won’t succeed if he can’t compete against left-handed hitters. How many skilled and powerful left-handed hitters are there in the domestic league? However, we can’t use foreign pitchers, who are limited to a maximum of two, as relief pitchers who only face right-handed hitters.”

“Weaknesses can be overcome. The fact that he has good results against right-handed hitters is enough to prove that he’s a skilled pitcher.”

“Are you confident that you can make that happen, CEO Kang?”

“Of course.”

Choi Min-sung looked back and forth between Lee Joo-hyuk and me, and pondered for a moment.

“Since he’s not affiliated with a team, there won’t be a transfer fee. How much salary are you thinking of to bring him to Korea?”

“Considering that more than half of the season has passed, it would be good to guarantee around $400,000.”

“What? $400,000 at this time? Does that mean it would be $750,000 to $800,000 for a full-time contract?”

Choi Min-sung stuttered as if he couldn’t believe his ears.

“We’re signing a player with very high potential, so he should receive that much. He’s 23 years old in Korean age this year. Plus, he’s American, so there’s no need to worry about him going to the military [mandatory military service in South Korea].”

“Huh… there are many players who came from Triple-A until last year who don’t receive $800,000. You’re saying we should spend that much money on a player with less career experience?”

“He’s a player who might be playing in the major leagues in a few years.”

As I said confidently, Choi Min-sung burst into a hearty laugh.

* * *

The next day, Lee Joo-hyuk and I left the hotel early in the morning.

The destination was a cafe not far away.

This time, we had made an appointment with an acquaintance that Lee Joo-hyuk was going to introduce.

We arrived at the cafe first and were drinking coffee.

“Does this person also know about Michael Scott?”

“He probably knows him well. There’s no way he wouldn’t know about a player playing in this area.”

It wouldn’t hurt to hear the opinion of an expert who has been watching and analyzing the games directly for a long time.

Soon, the door opened and a man came in.

“Oh, he’s here.”

Lee Joo-hyuk waved at the man.

The man showed his delight and hugged Lee Joo-hyuk.

“Lee, how have you been?”

“I’m good.”

The man turned his head, looked at me, and then looked back at Lee Joo-hyuk.

“Is this person…?”

“He’s our company’s CEO.”

The man finally smiled brightly at me.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Thomas.”

“I’m Kang Hyun-woo.”

Even without looking at the information window, I could immediately tell that this person truly loved baseball.

He was wearing a baseball t-shirt and a baseball cap.

It seemed to be the logos of a college team and a minor league team.

The color combination didn’t match at all since he was wearing clothes from two different teams.

He clearly had no interest in fashion.

“Lee told me a lot about you. I heard you started an agency?”

Thomas asked me, looking at me with sparkling eyes.

“That’s right.”

“Isn’t it a wonderful job?”

Thomas’s expression was full of pride.

“Should we sit down and talk?”

If Lee Joo-hyuk hadn’t gestured, we would have continued talking while standing.

“The reason you came to America is to see the players, right?”

Thomas brought up baseball as soon as he sat down.

“Yes, I’m trying to recruit players who are interested in advancing to the Korean league.”

“Have you made an offer to any players?”

“I’ve made an offer to Michael Scott, but he said he needs time to think about it, so I’m waiting.”

“Ah! Michael Scott.”

Thomas nodded as if he knew him well.

“What do you think of Michael Scott, Thomas?”

“Um… he’s one of the unfortunate players.”

“In what way?”

“He hasn’t been able to easily fix his weaknesses. It seems like he’s been trying to throw a new pitch since this season, but his weaknesses are still obvious. It won’t be easy for him to get a starting opportunity on his current team.”

“Then what should Scott do?”

I wondered if Thomas had any ideas.

Thomas couldn’t answer easily to my question.

“Um… that’s a difficult question. Since the draft is not far away, he can join a team first and improve in the minor leagues.”

It seemed like there’s no special solution.

Then I should ask what he thinks of my idea.

“If Scott goes to Korea, he can get a lot of opportunities to pitch as a starting pitcher. Would that be okay?”

“If he can continue to get opportunities as a starting pitcher, it’s definitely positive. The Korean league has become much more advanced now.”

“That’s right. I want to help Michael Scott become that kind of player. I also think he has enough ability to do so.”

After hearing my answer, Thomas looked at me carefully and asked a question.

“Do you want to bring players who can succeed in Korea in the future?”

“Whether they can succeed is important, but I want to work with players who want to develop while consistently getting opportunities in the Korean league.”

Thomas nodded slowly after hearing my words.

“Kang, would you like to work with me?”

“Work with you?”

I can’t come to America to work right now.

“I’ll send you analysis data on the players here, and then Kang can check it and recruit the players that the Korean clubs want. How about that?”

“Really?”

“If our players can get opportunities in Korea, we should actively recommend them.”

I could intuitively feel that this would be a great opportunity to recruit foreign players in earnest.

Even after talking for a long time, I didn’t feel bored at all.

I’m talking through Lee Joo-hyuk’s interpretation, but on the other hand, I feel like we can communicate even though we speak different languages.