Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 74

The Whirlwind Shaking the League (5)

“Our team has plenty of shortstop prospects,” Park Young-noh said, trying to appear unaffected, masking his true feelings.

“What if it’s a player with defensive skills that allow him to step in as a starter immediately?”

“You’re saying there’s a team willing to trade a shortstop like that?” Park Young-noh looked at me, tilting his head as if in disbelief.

“Conversely, the player we can offer is Jang Su-young, who could be used as a closer without any issues.”

“Hmm…” Park Young-noh frowned deeply.

“Are you sure we can bring in a starter?”

“To be precise, it’s not the other team’s *starting* player, but a player who could immediately play as a starter if he comes to the Wolves. It’s important to understand that nuance.”

“So, the agency will find the trade pieces to make it work?”

“We’ll do our best to ensure you’re as satisfied as possible. We need this trade to succeed, too.”

“What if it’s not the kind of player we want?”

“Then you can simply reject the trade. Ultimately, the trade can’t happen without your approval.”

He nodded slowly, as if my words made sense.

“So, are there any teams you’re already in talks with?”

“We need to have a proper discussion now. You called me in before I even had a chance to gauge other clubs’ interest.”

“Oh, is that so?” Park Young-noh coughed awkwardly, avoiding my gaze.

“Besides a good defensive shortstop, are there any other conditions you have?”

“Well… if Jang Su-young leaves, we’ll probably need to reinforce our left-handed pitchers.”

I was trying to gauge what kind of player he envisioned. Was he thinking of bundling other players into the deal?

As I’d somewhat expected, there was a high possibility it would turn into a larger trade involving two players for two, or even more.

“You’re not talking about prospects, are you?”

“It would be nice if they were young. And… it would be ideal if they’ve already completed their mandatory military service.”

I was so taken aback I was momentarily speechless.

A left-handed pitching prospect who has completed his military service…

Could this trade even be feasible?

“You know you’d have to give up a significant player for someone of that caliber, right?”

“Hmm… I’ll have to discuss that further with the manager.”

There was no way Park Young-noh was unaware of the kinds of offers other teams would make.

“But why are you trying to make a trade so suddenly? The season hasn’t even been underway for very long.”

“It’s my job to create an environment where our players can play baseball in a slightly more positive environment.”

“Does that mean Su-young isn’t happy with the Wolves?” Park Young-noh looked at me, questioning.

“It’s true that there’s a good chance things could be better for him elsewhere than they are now.”

* * *

As soon as I finished talking with the Wolves’ general manager, I had to move immediately.

It was because of the text message Kim Min-hwan sent.

-The Dragons want to meet. They seem eager to discuss the trade in detail.

As expected, the Dragons were also interested.

I had predicted they were one of the teams with a high probability of pursuing a trade.

There was no reason not to meet them right away.

It wasn’t far from the Wolves’ stadium, so I was able to arrive quickly.

“Hyun-woo, welcome,” Lim Seung-jin, the Dragons’ general manager, greeted me with a bright smile.

“General Manager, how have you been?”

“I’ve been doing well thanks to you, Hyun-woo.”

Lim Seung-jin’s face looked brighter than ever.

The reason was clear: the Dragons were performing as well as they had last year, and Na Jun-ho was playing well in the first year of his new contract.

He was receiving enthusiastic support from the fans, so there was no way he wouldn’t be in a good mood.

It was the complete opposite of Jo Gwang-hoon, the Jaguars’ general manager.

I received an effusive welcome and sat facing Lim Seung-jin.

“You’ve created another interesting situation this time,” Lim Seung-jin looked at me, slightly raising the corners of his mouth.

“I’m just trying to create the environment that our player wants.”

“Then, what would be the price for a left-handed *pilseungjo* [winning team] pitcher?”

“To be blunt, we need a shortstop who can be used as a starter right away.”

“A shortstop? How about other positions?”

“If it’s not a shortstop, this trade itself is a non-starter.”

“Oh, the price tag is higher than I thought?” Lim Seung-jin stroked his chin.

“It’s because you’re bringing in a *pilseungjo* pitcher, not just any left-handed pitcher.”

“That’s true, but considering he’s a left-handed specialist [a pitcher who typically faces only one or two batters], isn’t that a bit of an unreasonable condition?”

It was already well known that bullpen pitchers were not valued as highly as starting pitchers.

The closers who finished the game and received the spotlight were in a slightly better situation, but the rest of the bullpen pitchers were not.

Considering the hard work and dedication they put in for the team, the compensation was often inadequate.

“Jang Su-young is playing as a left-handed specialist because he’s with the Wolves. He’s a player with enough ability to be a closer on another team.”

“I acknowledge without a doubt that he’s a pitcher with excellent skills. However, I do have doubts about whether his inning-eating ability can keep up.”

“……”

“Looking at the stats, Jang Su-young hasn’t pitched even 50 innings in a season since he settled into the bullpen. Especially in the last three years, he hasn’t even exceeded 40 innings.”

“As you know, the reason for that is because the Wolves’ bullpen is too strong. Moreover, he’s the only left-handed pitcher in the team’s bullpen, so he’s just been playing the role of a specialist. If Jang Su-young comes to the Dragons, he’ll be able to reliably pitch an inning in the 8th or 9th.”

Despite my confident answer, Lim Seung-jin tilted his head slightly.

“He has too few records against right-handed batters compared to left-handed batters, but we’re also expecting him to perform well based on various data. But it’s still a concern.”

“……”

“If we drastically increase the number of innings after not pitching many innings for the past few years, won’t there be a problem? Jang Su-young is 26 years old, but I’m cautious about acquiring a pitcher through trade for various reasons.”

Lim Seung-jin wasn’t worried about Jang Su-young’s skills. He was suggesting that if a player who was used to pitching briefly, averaging around 10 pitches, suddenly increased his workload to 15-20 pitches or more, it could be too much. I didn’t necessarily agree, but it wasn’t an unreasonable point either.

“We’re not converting him to a starting pitcher who has to throw over 100 pitches; he’s just taking on the role of reliably taking care of one inning. Will your concerns really materialize?”

“Hmm…” Lim Seung-jin pondered for a moment before continuing the conversation. “Then, which player on our team are you thinking of acquiring?”

“Park Jin-ho.”

Park Jin-ho was a utility player who could handle all positions in the infield.

He wasn’t a starter for the Dragons, but he was one of the players the team relied on.

In addition to replacing other players due to injuries or stamina management, Park Jin-ho also allowed them to utilize pinch hitters more freely.

Like Jang Su-young, Park Jin-ho was a player who could have been a starter if he hadn’t been on the Dragons, who had a solid infield defense.

Even someone who has only played baseball video games can quickly see how valuable a player like that is to a team.

“How much is Jang Su-young’s salary?”

“250 million won.”

“Park Jin-ho’s is 95 million won, so there’s a significant difference in salary.”

“You can see that Jang Su-young has been recognized that much by the team.”

“Hmm… There’s definitely a big difference from our salary structure.” Even when I smiled, Lim Seung-jin’s serious expression remained unchanged.

“Then, let me make an additional offer. I want to bring in Kim Seong-hwan along with Jang Su-young. Is there a way to make that happen?”

Kim Seong-hwan was one of their promising third basemen.

He was considered a power hitter who could hit more than 20 home runs in a season.

“If you want to bring in the two players you mentioned, you’ll have to send one more player of Park Jin-ho’s level.”

“We can match the pieces if necessary.”

“I can’t give you an answer on the spot, but the Wolves will probably want to reinforce their left-handed pitchers.”

“Hehehe. A left-handed pitcher?”

“Kim Joo-hyun would be a possibility.”

“Hyun-woo, are you kidding me right now?” Lim Seung-jin burst out laughing, as if dumbfounded.

“Shouldn’t it be at least that level?” I had no intention of joking at all.

“You’re saying that because you don’t know how much we value that player, right?”

“Of course not. I know very well.”

“What do you think is the reason why the club sent him to Sangmu [military sports corps] early? He’s our future player. That’s going to be difficult.”

“Then, which player are you willing to give up?” Lim Seung-jin thought for a long time before answering my question.

I was so taken aback that I burst out laughing.

Even if he’s a left-handed pitcher, a lower-round draft pick who hasn’t even debuted in the first team is too much.

“You don’t think there’s a high probability that this offer will be accepted, do you?”

“Let’s just tell them anyway.”

It seemed highly likely that it would be rejected, but I had to pass it on to General Manager Park Young-noh anyway.

* * *

“What did the Wolves’ general manager say when you told him that?” Lim Ye-ji asked me with an interested look in her eyes.

“He rejected it as soon as I brought it up. He even got angry, telling me to say something that made sense.”

To be precise, it wasn’t just getting angry, but even swearing a lot.

The target of the harsh profanity was General Manager Lim Seung-jin, not me.

“Let’s look into other teams first,” Lim Ye-ji nodded.

Weeing-

“Just a moment. I’ll go answer the phone.” Kim Min-hwan answered the phone and went out of the conference room.

I sighed and pressed my temples.

“Trading isn’t easy.”

“It’s difficult even when the general manager is directly involved, but it’s even more difficult for an agency without decision-making power to match the pieces,” Lim Ye-ji looked at me and smiled.

Kim Min-hwan, who had finished the call, came back into the conference room.

“I just talked to the Angels’ general manager. How about trying to trade for Ji Young-wook?” Kim Min-hwan looked back and forth between me and Lim Ye-ji, asking for an answer.

Ji Young-wook?

“Oh. Ji Young-wook might be okay?” I quickly racked my brain, and my eyes widened slightly.

“Right? I think I can match the pieces with this much?” Kim Min-hwan said in a slightly higher tone.

On the other hand, Lim Ye-ji hurriedly rummaged through the documents, checked something, and then opened her mouth.

“It can’t be the Angels.”

“Huh?”

“Let’s negotiate with other teams first, before the Angels.”

What is this all of a sudden?