Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 290

Toward the Stage of Dreams (1)

The afterglow of winning the international competition, a victory that felt like a dream, lingered for several days.

We held a celebration party with the players back at the agency’s accommodation, sharing the joy of the victory once again.

Telling behind-the-scenes stories from the tournament made it feel like we were right back in the stadium.

“Scott, you were really too much. I mean, come on, going all out against us like that was a bit much. You could have taken it easy on us,” Park Sung-ju said, lightly tapping Scott’s shoulder.

“Sung-ju, don’t even get me started. Did you see Scott throw a 159 km/h [approximately 99 mph] fastball at me? We were teammates, but what’s with the 159 km/h?” Han Kyo-jin clicked his tongue in mock annoyance.

“Oh, I think Seo was even worse. How can you hit a curveball that’s completely out of the zone? You’re supposed to fall for that; it’s practically a gift,” Scott said, raising his arms with a smile, feigning frustration.

Then, Park Sung-ju turned to So Young-jun and continued the conversation. “Well, that hit you made back then was a game-changer. After that hit, Scott seemed to have a hard time getting his head back in the game.”

“I had a feeling the moment he threw it. This time, it’s a curveball,” So Young-jun replied, raising his hand as if he were holding a bat.

“But even if you had let it go, wouldn’t you have gotten on base anyway because it was a ball [meaning the pitch was outside the strike zone]?” Oh Seok-hoon asked, tilting his head.

“That’s true, but my bat just went out there without me even realizing it. And if I’m going to get on base, I’d rather it be with a hit than a walk,” So Young-jun said, shrugging.

“Anyway, thanks to you, the last game was really thrilling. It was like a drama. I really thought we were going to lose,” Park Sung-ju said, giving So Young-jun a thumbs up.

“I don’t think my heart has ever raced that much in my career,” Oh Seok-hoon said, grabbing his chest and shaking his head.

“Man, I wanted to die back then. It was like I was possessed by something,” So Young-jun said, chugging the water in front of him.

“But we won, so that’s what matters. Everyone worked really hard,” I said, making eye contact with all the players and clapping my hands.

“But winning is… really great,” So Young-jun’s voice trailed off.

Oh Seok-hoon tilted his head and turned to So Young-jun. “Sunbae [a Korean term for a senior colleague or mentor], are you… crying?”

“Why would I suddenly cry?” So Young-jun quickly wiped away his tears.

I quickly approached and looked into So Young-jun’s eyes. “Hey, it looks like you’re crying? Your eyes are red.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You have every reason to cry. You’ve worked really hard.”

“I’m not crying, I’m telling you.”

“It’s okay. You can be honest with your emotions today,” I said, patting So Young-jun’s shoulder, regardless of his reaction.

“That’s right. Let’s just forget everything and enjoy ourselves today. We don’t get many chances to share the joy of winning like this,” Park Sung-ju said, picking up the beer in front of him.

“That’s right, that’s right. In that spirit, let’s have a cool drink,” I said, clinking beer glasses with the players and taking a refreshing gulp.

Our celebration party continued late into the night.

* * *

As the tournament came to an end, negotiations for our players officially resumed.

Thanks to their strong performance in this tournament, more teams were making proactive and aggressive offers.

In particular, Oh Seok-hoon’s performance in this tournament made the reactions of interested teams even more enthusiastic.

In addition, we were able to receive concrete offers from Japanese teams.

The contract period was short, around 2-3 years, but the salary itself was much higher than in Korea.

However, advancing to Japan wasn’t an option for us at all, so we excluded it without hesitation.

And several domestic teams also sent new offers with higher salaries than the initial proposals.

Breaking the record for the highest FA [Free Agent] amount was a given, and it was such a large amount that it would be difficult to break for the time being.

I called Michael Scott, Oh Seok-hoon, and Park Sung-ju to the office and sat down facing them.

“Now that the tournament is over, we should start again, right?”

“Hoo- I’m nervous,” Park Sung-ju said, rubbing his hands together and swallowing hard.

“Let’s start with Scott first.”

“Okay, my boss,” Scott said, grinning, revealing his teeth.

“It seems like many teams viewed Scott positively in this tournament.”

Scott not only started in the game against Korea but also showed remarkable performance as a relief pitcher.

“Oho.”

“A total of five teams have sent concrete offers. The conditions are similar, with a contract period of about 3 years and a total amount of about 30 million dollars,” I said, taking out the prepared materials and placing them in front of Scott.

“Oooo.”

Oh Seok-hoon and Park Sung-ju, who were listening from the side, simultaneously exclaimed.

“If you sign a contract for that amount, you might be able to go straight to the major league if you show a good performance in spring camp?”

Scott nodded with a satisfied expression and looked through the materials.

“Of course. Moreover, being on the 40-man roster means that the team can call you up at any time. If you show a solid performance in spring camp, you might be able to start in the major league from the opening game.”

“Then that’s a tempting offer.”

Scott nodded and replied.

“The salary conditions are similar in general, but the detailed conditions vary slightly from team to team, and the region also makes a difference in living conditions, so from now on, you should think about that part.”

“Okay, my boss.”

“Then I’ll talk to Scott again soon,” I said, confirming that Scott nodded and moving on to the next material.

“Now let’s move on to Sung-ju’s story.”

“Yes,” Park Sung-ju nodded with a determined expression.

“To tell you the conclusion, it seems a little difficult to get a contract with better conditions than guaranteeing a 40-man roster.”

Park Sung-ju did hit an important home run at the end of this tournament, but overall, he showed more struggles.

Since he didn’t show impressive performances in matches against foreign players, it was perhaps natural that major league teams had difficulty having immediate confidence in him.

“Hmm…”

“Instead, if you show a good performance in spring camp, I think you can be confident that you have a high chance of playing in the major league from the opening game.”

“So, you’re saying that they’re not guaranteeing that I’ll play in the major league?” Park Sung-ju asked with a sullen expression.

“Yeah. I think you’ll have to be satisfied with being on the 40-man roster.”

“What’s the salary like?”

“The contract periods offered by each team are slightly different, but it seems like it will be around 20 million dollars for a 3-year contract.”

“Ha… This is difficult,” Park Sung-ju said, covering his head and expressing his frustration.

“Sung-ju, this contract is good enough. Guaranteeing a 40-man roster is not a condition that everyone can get.”

“Hoo… Would the situation have been much different if I had done better in the tournament?” Park Sung-ju took a deep breath and said.

“Baseball can’t always go well. It’s just that the timing was bad during the tournament. And you can show a good performance after going to the United States.”

“…”

Even with my consolation, Park Sung-ju’s mind didn’t seem to be at ease.

“And domestic teams are constantly sending offers. It’s important information, so I should tell you about it,” I said, carefully handing a new piece of paper to Park Sung-ju.

“Has anything changed from what we talked about last time?”

“The amount has increased slightly from the new offer.”

“Really?” Park Sung-ju asked with wide eyes.

“The total amount is 16 billion won [approximately 12 million USD], with 12 billion won guaranteed and 4 billion won in options.”

“The total amount and the guaranteed amount are much larger than the initial offer?” Park Sung-ju slowly read the document.

“Teams are competing because it’s the time for the final showdown.”

“Then should I really seriously consider staying with the Buffaloes?” Park Sung-ju put down the document and looked at me.

“But this offer is not from the Buffaloes.”

“Really? Then… which team is it?”

“The highest amount you’re seeing now is from the Jaguars.”

“The Jaguars?” Not only Park Sung-ju but also Oh Seok-hoon’s eyes widened.

“It seems like they think they need to reinforce their lineup because Watson is transferring this time. In reinforcing the lineup this season, there’s no more certain way than signing you, Sung-ju.”

“Hoo- I’m grateful. They’re offering me so much money. Then is it the same with the Buffaloes?”

“Yeah. I haven’t talked to them since we talked about it at first, because staying in Korea is the last option. If you want, Sung-ju, I’ll have a proper conversation with the Buffaloes.”

“Um… If we talk, will the Buffaloes offer better conditions than the Jaguars?” Park Sung-ju looked at me with a worried expression.

“The Buffaloes will want to catch at least one of you and Seok-hoon, no matter what.”

“Um… I’ll think about it a little more.”

“Okay, think about it enough and let’s talk again,” I said, making eye contact with Park Sung-ju and nodding.

And I picked up the material that I had placed at the very bottom.

“Then finally, Seok-hoon.”

“Hoo…” Oh Seok-hoon made eye contact with me with a nervous expression.

“It seems like the major league officials were impressed with your performance in this tournament. According to what they’re saying locally, they’re surprisingly proactive.”

“That’s a relief,” Oh Seok-hoon finally let out a sigh of relief.

“You can probably aim for a total of up to 40 million dollars for a contract period of 3-4 years.”

“4, 40 million dollars…?” Not only Oh Seok-hoon but also Park Sung-ju and Scott couldn’t hide their surprise.

Flawless hitting ability, a home run in an important situation, and daring base running.

It was no exaggeration to say that Oh Seok-hoon showed everything he could show through this tournament.

“We’re also negotiating to add a minor league veto to the 25-man roster, but we haven’t found a team that can definitely include it yet.”

“Then, if I wait while thinking about it, can I get a better offer?”

“It’s hard to say for sure at this moment, but I don’t think it’s bad to wait a little longer. There’s a possibility that a team that hasn’t been able to reinforce the desired position will make a better offer.”

“Then I’ll think about it a little more too.”

“We’re still negotiating locally, so I’ll let you know as it’s updated.”

Our meeting ended like that for now.

In the meantime, Kim Sang-wook of Sky Corporation was busy meeting with several teams in the United States and negotiating.

Overseas media outlets were confirming official news announcing the signing of major league players.

Before we knew it, contracts for players who could be called big fish [highly sought-after players] in the major league were being finalized.

Every day that passed meant that the time for us to make a decision was approaching.