Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 90

The Last Line of Defense (5)

“Here is the official medical opinion from the hospital.”

Kim Min-hwan handed Im Ye-ji the medical report he had received from the hospital.

As Im Ye-ji finished reading the report, Kim Min-hwan cautiously began, “It would be best to stop training and receive treatment for at least three months.”

“Three months…?”

“Yes, three months is the minimum, and it could be longer if the pain doesn’t subside.”

“……”

Without a word, Im Ye-ji put down the report and pondered for a moment before asking, “Are there any other options?”

“We also sent the scans to a partner hospital in the United States for a second opinion. Their assessment was similar.”

“Is that all?”

Im Ye-ji, clearly not satisfied with the answer, took a deep breath and crossed her arms. Kim Min-hwan glanced at me, signaling me to speak.

Cutting through the tense atmosphere, I carefully offered my thoughts. “It might take about three months to recover and regain his form, but with a significant portion of the season remaining, wouldn’t that be sufficient?”

“If Go Ji-hoon receives treatment for three months and then returns, how many games will he be able to play this season?”

“About 10 games, I think.”

“Hmm……”

*Does she not know this?*

Im Ye-ji likely knows, but I should clarify just in case. “Even if he only plays 10 games, he’ll still meet the Free Agent (FA) requirements this season. Including his time with the national team, he only needs to be registered in the first team for about 30 more days during the remaining season. He can take ample time to recover without any issues.”

“Of course, there won’t be any problem meeting the FA requirements……”

As expected, Im Ye-ji was already aware.

“Then there’s no problem, right?”

“If he plays 10 games this season, how many innings will he be able to pitch during that time?”

“Go Ji-hoon’s career average is a little over 5 innings per game, so about 50 innings, I’d estimate.”

Go Ji-hoon wasn’t a pitcher known for consistently pitching 6 or 7 innings or more.

“If he signs a FA contract this winter, what would be Go Ji-hoon’s biggest risk?”

“Well… it would be his frequent injuries and his inability to pitch many innings, right?”

“So, if he barely pitches 50 innings this season before becoming a free agent, wouldn’t that significantly hinder negotiations?”

“It could be, but……”

“Fifty innings is comparable to his rookie season. If he performs that poorly in the season leading up to free agency, it would be a serious problem, don’t you think?”

Im Ye-ji’s concern wasn’t just about meeting the FA requirements, but about ensuring favorable FA negotiations.

“Then, shouldn’t we aim to have him perform exceptionally well in those 50 innings? That would compensate for it.”

“That’s the baseline, of course.”

Im Ye-ji picked up the medical report and continued, “Is there absolutely no way to extend those 50 innings to 100?”

“100… 100 innings?”

*She wants him to pitch 100 innings this year?*

I was speechless at her ambitious idea.

* * *

Another crucial matter was approaching alongside Go Ji-hoon’s situation: Lee Joo-hyuk’s tryout, just one day away.

After careful consideration, I proposed an idea to Lee Joo-hyuk: to pitch against Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo.

I hesitated until the last moment before suggesting it. I had mixed feelings, believing that facing the league’s best hitters would prepare him for the tryout, but also fearing it might damage his confidence.

Ultimately, I decided it was better to face the challenge head-on. Besides, Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo were a left-handed and right-handed hitter, respectively, providing ideal training conditions.

Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo readily agreed to my request.

Whether it was the impending tryout or the prospect of facing Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo, Lee Joo-hyuk’s expression was tense as he warmed up.

As the warm-up neared its end, I cautiously approached Lee Joo-hyuk. “Joo-hyuk, are you ready?”

“Yes, I’m all set now.”

“You have to pitch tomorrow, so overexerting yourself would be detrimental. Let’s do some light practice throws, then throw a total of 20 pitches, 10 each against Seok-hoon and Seong-joo.”

“Yes.”

Lee Joo-hyuk nodded stiffly.

“You know that the two players you’re facing are among the best in the league, right?”

“Of course.”

“It’s natural that today’s results might not be ideal. Focus on the process rather than the outcome.”

“Yes.”

Lee Joo-hyuk nodded again.

Soon after, Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo entered the training field.

“It’s an honor to face off against Joo-hyuk,” Park Seong-joo said with a broad smile. He playfully tapped Lee Joo-hyuk on the shoulder, but Lee Joo-hyuk didn’t react, likely due to his nerves.

“Joo-hyuk seems very nervous?” Park Seong-joo, sensing the awkwardness, looked at me and whispered.

I gestured and called Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo over. “You know that Joo-hyuk has a tryout tomorrow, right?”

“Of course,” Oh Seok-hoon replied with a serious expression.

“Please give it your best for Joo-hyuk, seriously. Treat it like batting practice before a real game.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll do my best,” Park Seong-joo said, grabbing a bat.

As Lee Joo-hyuk finished his last practice pitch, Park Seong-joo approached the plate.

“Then, let’s begin,” Lee Joo-hyuk said, his words instantly transforming the atmosphere of the practice field into that of a real game.

Park Seong-joo, standing at the plate, prepared to bat as if it were a real game. He seemed serious but also wore a smile, as if enjoying the challenge.

Lee Joo-hyuk touched the ball in his glove a few times and then took his pitching stance. He lifted his leg with all his might and threw the ball toward the strike zone marked on the net.

Thud!

“Ball!”

The fastball slightly missed the strike zone. He was probably nervous, putting too much force into the throw.

Park Seong-joo almost swung but managed to stop himself.

“Relax your body!” I shouted to Lee Joo-hyuk.

Lee Joo-hyuk nodded and prepared to throw again. He took a few breaths and then threw the ball with all his might.

This time, the ball flew toward the strike zone.

Tick.

Park Seong-joo swung, making contact but not a solid hit.

I watched the pitch while simultaneously measuring the ball’s speed with a speed gun. The fastball averaged around 140km/h [approximately 87 mph]. It was a shame, but definitely faster than before.

Just as I thought Lee Joo-hyuk was gaining confidence,

Whack!

Whack!

Now that Park Seong-joo had adjusted to Lee Joo-hyuk’s pitches, he began hitting sharp line drives. Still, it was positive that a considerable number of balls were entering the strike zone.

Now it was time for the changeups: slider and curveball.

“Ah……” Lee Joo-hyuk sighed in disappointment as soon as he threw the slider.

Thud.

It was a wild pitch, difficult to catch even with a catcher.

Although his control gradually improved,

Whack!

Whack!

It wasn’t enough to induce a swing and a miss from Park Seong-joo.

“Okay, let’s stop with Seong-joo for now. Let’s try against Seok-hoon.”

“Is it already over? That’s a shame,” Park Seong-joo said, disappointed to leave the plate just as he was warming up.

Meanwhile, Oh Seok-hoon picked up a bat and stepped to the plate.

Now it was a left-handed hitter.

“Take a moment to catch your breath. Let me know when you’re ready.”

Lee Joo-hyuk wiped the sweat with a towel and returned to the pitcher’s mound. He raised his hand, signaling that he was ready to throw.

Oh Seok-hoon took his batting stance.

Thud!

“Strike.”

Throwing a fastball for a strike was encouraging, but

Whack!

Whack!

Oh Seok-hoon also made solid contact.

Now it was time for the changeup.

For a right-handed pitcher, a slider against a left-handed hitter needs to start outside the strike zone and then break back in. It’s a challenging pitch even for professionals.

That’s why Lee Joo-hyuk looked more cautious than ever. He prepared and threw the ball with all his might, but

Whack!

Whack!

The slider, failing to break properly, became easy bait for the hitter.

That’s how the last pitch was thrown.

“Can I throw a little more?”

“Joo-hyuk, if you throw too much today, it will be difficult to throw with full strength tomorrow.”

“I guess so…?”

Deep disappointment was evident in Lee Joo-hyuk’s expression.

“Those were the best hitters in the league. You’ll definitely get better results tomorrow, so don’t worry,” I said, patting Lee Joo-hyuk on the shoulder.

After that, we did some light weight training and mental imagery exercises for pitching.

That’s how Lee Joo-hyuk’s tryout preparation concluded.

* * *

Professor Park Jung-joon sighed as he carefully examined the X-ray image on the screen in his lab. He turned to Im Ye-ji with a serious expression.

“Representative Im, as I mentioned during our phone conversation, this is a difficult decision.”

“Of course, I understand that. That’s why I’m consulting you, Professor.”

Park Jung-joon understood her urgency. Im Ye-ji’s personal visit indicated the seriousness of the matter.

“Is this approach absolutely necessary?”

“You know how hard Go Ji-hoon has worked to get here, Professor.”

“Of course, I’m aware of that.”

Park Jung-joon reviewed the medical records and pondered. “Has the player himself agreed to this?”

“There’s no reason for him to refuse,” Im Ye-ji replied with a knowing smile.

Park Jung-joon looked at Im Ye-ji and hesitated. “Professor, please grant me this one favor.”

“Hmm… Since both the player and the agency are in agreement, let’s try it that way initially,” Park Jung-joon finally nodded.

“But he must receive consistent treatment. It needs to be done concurrently to prevent future problems, even more diligently than now.”

“Of course,” Im Ye-ji answered without hesitation.