Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 224

“Did the Jaguars also think our players performed well internally?”

“Of course! Is that even a question?”

Jaguars General Manager Jo Gwang-hoon nodded vigorously.

“Then it’s safe to say you definitely need our players for next season, right?”

“Are you serious…? Can I get my hopes up?”

“Donald Watson and Michael Scott both said they want to play one more season in Korea.”

“What! Is that true?”

Jo Gwang-hoon’s eyes widened as if they would pop out.

“They said they received offers from Major League Baseball, but they still want to play one more season.”

“This… is this a dream? Representative Kang, you know you can’t joke with me about something like this, right?”

Jo Gwang-hoon pinched his face as he spoke.

“Of course. Would I lie about something like this?”

“Wow… wow… I really can’t believe it.”

Jo Gwang-hoon stared at me blankly for a moment.

“But you’ll make sure to compensate them properly in terms of salary, right?”

“Representative Kang, do you not know my style? Do you think I’m the kind of person who would make things complicated with that? I’m different from others.”

“Of course, I know very well. How much do you think I like you, General Manager?”

I nodded vigorously towards Jo Gwang-hoon.

I couldn’t deny that it was more comfortable to talk to General Manager Jo Gwang-hoon than anyone else in many ways.

After the meal, we got down to brass tacks and exchanged specific salary details.

Donald Watson, who recorded a batting average of 0.319 with 17 home runs, 92 RBIs, 32 stolen bases, and a WAR [Wins Above Replacement, a comprehensive baseball statistic] of 6.38, playing a key role in important situations, as well as Michael Scott, who recorded the most wins in the league with 18 wins and an ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of pitching performance] of 2.93, both deserved a significant raise.

Before coming to this meeting, I had calculated the appropriate salary based on data.

But in reality, it didn’t matter much while talking to General Manager Jo Gwang-hoon.

Because he offered a larger amount than I had even calculated.

Since he made offers to both Watson and Scott that were higher than my calculated figures, I was able to finalize the contracts on the spot without hesitation.

General Manager Jo Gwang-hoon didn’t drag things out like some others and made the maximum offer the club could afford, so I was able to agree coolly on the spot.

And Seo Seong-min, another Jaguars player, recorded a batting average of 0.275, 10 home runs, and 72 RBIs.

He played a full-time role as the 6th hitter and second baseman, proving invaluable.

He could handle multiple positions, so they probably thought of him as a first-team backup player at best, but no one probably expected him to perform this well.

Last season, he received the minimum salary of 30 million won [approximately $23,000 USD], but he signed a contract for 100 million won [approximately $76,000 USD], becoming an overnight millionaire.

It took about as long as it took to eat dessert to finalize the Jaguars’ salary negotiations.

The very next day, all three players signed the contracts.

Thinking that this was the best gift they could give to Jaguars fans this winter, the Jaguars distributed press releases before the ink even dried.

└Crazy! They kept Donald Watson ㅋㅋㅋ

└Did Jo Gwang-hoon do well, or did Kang Hyun-woo save them once again?

└Unlike some teams, they gave out generous salaries. Yeah, if they showed this much performance, they should be compensated accordingly.

└With the level of performance Donald Watson showed this season, he could have gotten a Major League contract, so why didn’t he?

└Korea is a good place to live. The cheering culture is also amazing, so it must be fun to play baseball because they cheer so enthusiastically, right?

└Even so, the salary is on a completely different level compared to Major League Baseball, so you’re saying he gave that up?

└You’re making light of 2 million dollars. It’s an amount that most office workers will never see in their bank accounts until they die.

└Still, if he goes to Major League Baseball, there will be one more 0 at the end. How much longer can he play as a player, so why give that up?

└You have to think about Mrs. Olivia too. If she’s this much of a celebrity, she’ll probably get an advertisement soon, so she can cash in on that and leave.

└I’ll be able to see Olivia at the baseball stadium again next year ㅋㅋㅋ Let’s go all the way to winning the Korean Series!!!

└And it’s also impressive that Scott’s salary increased more than Watson’s.

└Even if you can’t compare their careers so far, Scott’s future value might be higher.

└I wonder if they’ll both say they’re going to the Major League next year if they do this well ㅠ

└Kang Hyun-woo will bring in other players again. Still, it feels good when a player who did well on the Korean stage also does well in the Major League.

* * *

Unlike last year, when I had to go through salary arbitration, this year I was able to complete salary negotiations with all of our players before December even ended.

Now that the meeting with Sky Corporation was also finished, all that was left was to focus on the players’ training.

As a new year began in January, our agency decided to go on a spring training trip to Guam again this year, following last year.

Starting this year, we prepared entirely with the agency’s budget without the help of Na Jun-ho and Go Ji-hoon.

The players’ salary commissions and advertising revenue from live broadcasts alone were generating a considerable amount of profit, so we were able to prepare sufficiently on our own.

In addition to the players who participated last year, Han Gyo-jin, who newly joined in the middle of the season, also joined this spring training.

And Watson’s family also decided to accompany us on this trip.

It seemed more convenient in many ways to move together rather than staying in Korea.

Before the season ended, we were able to complete thorough preparations, including booking training facilities and accommodations, as well as preparing training programs.

Thanks to having done it once last year, it went much more smoothly.

And finally, tomorrow was the day we were leaving for spring training in Guam.

Since we were scheduled to depart on a morning flight tomorrow, all of the agency’s players gathered in one place.

The number of players was gradually increasing, and when we gathered the luggage containing the training equipment and personal belongings that each person used, it was truly enormous.

Among them, there was a noticeable carrier with the Pelicans logo largely attached to it.

“Young-joon, why do you have so much luggage?”

Other players usually brought one large carrier and one equipment bag, but So Young-joon had one more carrier in addition to that.

“It turned out to be a lot as I packed this and that.”

“What did you pack that you need this much? It wasn’t this much last year, was it?”

“Can it be the same as last year? Something has to be different.”

“What changes would cause the luggage to increase this much?”

No matter how much I thought about it, nothing came to mind.

“Representative Kang, you didn’t forget this time, did you?”

So Young-joon approached me and put his hand on my shoulder.

“What was it?”

“Oh, come on. How can you be so disappointing?”

“I’m not doing it on purpose, I really can’t remember.”

I couldn’t remember because I had so many things to think about.

“You said you’d give me twice as much free time if I set a career high this season.”

Expectation was deeply etched on So Young-joon’s face.

“Ah, that’s right. I remembered.”

“Then I can play with twice as much free time this time, right? I even packed a few more outfits.”

Ah, so that carrier was for clothes to play in.

“I have to keep my promise since I made it. But you have to train hard, okay?”

“Hey, Representative Kang. I’m not the old So Young-joon anymore. I’m the type to do things properly when training and have a blast when playing.”

“Okay, I’ll tell Coach In-gyu too. Now do whatever you want. I don’t think you’re a player I can tell what to do anymore.”

“Nice!”

So Young-joon clenched his fist at my words.

“Then Scott can rest with me too, right?”

“Even Scott?”

“Scott also set a career high. It’s okay for him to be free, right?”

Well, he’s a pitcher who recorded the most wins in the league, so I can’t say anything about his training now.

“Yeah, everyone will do well on their own without me telling them to.”

“Nice! I have to tell Scott quickly.”

So Young-joon jumped around as if he had received the gift of his dreams and approached Scott to deliver the news.

Scott, who was talking to Han Gyo-jin, raised both hands as soon as he heard the news and exchanged an American greeting with So Young-joon.

The whole dormitory was filled with the smell of delicious food, and soon a shout was heard.

“Everyone, dinner’s ready.”

The players gathered in one place at the long-awaited words.

Because it was too cold, we had to eat indoors instead of in the yard.

It was no longer possible to gather everyone in one place, so we divided into two tables and took our seats.

The players were so busy talking after gathering for dinner after a long time.

Since there was no opportunity to meet and talk together during the season, this was almost the only time.

During the conversation, I heard a lot of grumbling—not serious complaints, but good-natured gripes—about how difficult it was to face each other on the field.

The players who received the most