The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 391

391. Extra Story 4) And Career High.

“The Yankees are insane. 10 years, $580 million? Giving that to a thirty-year-old player who’s only been making headlines for injuries lately?”

“It’s Choi Su-won, though.”

“No, still. If they’re going to commit for 10 years, they should at least lower the AAV [Average Annual Value]. This looks like they’re getting completely ripped off.”

“Injuries or not, there’s no player like Choi Su-won in the league. If you want to win, you have to go for it. That’s why the Mets were in it until the end. I heard their offer was almost the same, but Choi Su-won just chose the Yankees.”

“The Mets matched that? Aren’t they already paying a ton in luxury tax right now?”

“If building a dynasty means pulling up the foundation, it’s worth it. Honestly, if they missed out on Choi Su-won here, there’s no guarantee we wouldn’t become the next Bambino [referring to the curse of selling Babe Ruth by the Red Sox].”

“How is that the same? That was only $125,000. This is, what? $580 million. The amount is different.”

“Adjusted for the times, you can’t call the Bambino deal ‘only’ that much. Back then, the Yankees franchise itself was worth less than $500,000. Now that the Yankees are worth about $10 billion, that would be like a $2.5 billion value, proportionally speaking.”

Online and offline, anyone with an interest in baseball was talking about Choi Su-won’s 10-year, $580 million contract.

No matter what, that amount is an overpay.

No. Considering Choi Su-won as the most inelastic asset, it’s a reasonable amount. Think about soccer players going to the Middle East for oil money.

Wrong. You can’t compare players going to a completely different league with players in the same league.

Winter of 2039.

The free agent market started and ended with Choi Su-won. But most people agreed that the Yankees had fallen into Choi Su-won’s trap.

He’s a player you can’t let go if you want to win.

And the Yankees are a team that always has to aim for a championship.

But the current Yankees aren’t in a position to aim for a championship.

Some media outlets said that the contract between the Yankees and Choi Su-won would be a disaster for both sides. It would be like the Angels wasting Trout’s prime in the 2010s.

“The Yankees should have put Choi Su-won on the market for a high price when their 11th championship became difficult last year. Back then, Choi Su-won was like a free pass to buy any prospect set in the league.”

Of course, not everyone was negative.

“Of course, the next year or two might feel tough. But he is the best player of this era, maybe even in baseball history. If they raise the skills of the prospects around him and supplement the lacking areas a little, the Yankees can easily find their old form again.”

Some pointed out that the Yankees are neither a team that needs to tank nor a team that can tank. And in that unsettling atmosphere, 2040. Spring training began.

“This is… Can’t live if you’re not Choi Su-won? I even announced that I’m retiring at the end of this season, but everyone’s only looking for Choi Su-won?”

“My friend. That’s what I told you. I kept telling you to play baseball well.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ve been playing baseball for almost 20 years, but unlike some people, I’ve only been to the All-Star game 10 times, and I’ve just been grinding along, harvesting a few Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers without an MVP.”

“Still, you apologize well. Yeah, you have to apologize if you can’t play baseball well in this business.”

“What, you punk?”

Such childishness, hard to believe it’s a conversation between a thirty-nine-year-old and a thirty-two-year-old.

Anthony Volpe tapped Choi Su-won’s arm.

“Looking at how solid your body is, it seems like you’ve prepared properly. Your legs are okay, right?”

“Yeah, more than okay.”

Anthony Volpe looked at Choi Su-won. He wasn’t an ordinary guy from the first time they met. At least, he was someone who could win an MVP before he retired. Of course, he didn’t know that he would win more than one MVP, a whopping seven, and be discussed as the GOAT [Greatest Of All Time] in the 170-year history of baseball, beyond being the best of this era.

“See, isn’t it a shame?”

“Yeah. It’s a shame.”

“Then change your mind now. Watching you play on TV last year, you looked like you could easily go for another 2 or 3 years.”

“Are you talking after seeing my performance last year?”

“That’s because you were tired from playing full-time while managing the team. Now that I’m back, leave the minor stuff to me and take some rest days in between.”

“Is this senior citizen care?”

“It’s preferential treatment for elders. You weren’t good at baseball, but you worked hard enough to deserve that kind of treatment.”

“No way. I’m going to remain as a beautiful figure who knows when to step down.”

“I’ve seen a lot of players retire, but none of them who retired like that didn’t regret not playing for another 1 or 2 years. The best thing is to play until all 30 teams say they won’t sign you, and if no team in the majors is looking for you, go to Korea or Japan and grind it out until you retire.”

“No way. I’ve already made enough money anyway.”

“It’s not about the money. What are you going to do when you’re bored after quitting baseball? You know you have to wait a few years even if you want to play social baseball, right?”

“Well, if I spend about 4 or 5 years playing golf, they’ll put my face on a plaque. Then I can start social baseball, right?”

“That plaque, you’re talking about Yankee Stadium, right? Not Coors Field [known for being hitter-friendly]?”

“Hey, I may not be as good at baseball as you, but I was pretty good. When I reached 2,500 hits last year, there were a lot of talks like, ‘Even if he retires now, he’s almost guaranteed for Coors [Hall of Fame induction].'”

“That’s just New York’s hype. Still, you have to get 3,000 hits. Looking at it, it seems like you could somehow do it if you play for another 4 years.”

Anthony Volpe smiled bitterly at Choi Su-won’s fervent solicitation.

“You’ll see when you get older. It’s not easy. My body doesn’t do what I want. Good days are good. But those days aren’t even half of the 162 games. It’s time to rest now.”

“······.”

Yeah, it’s going to be empty.

He was the greatest player from a very young age. Everyone who worked with him was much older than him, and among the original members who created the new Amazing Yankees, the only ones left are Volpe himself, Domingo, who signed another one-year contract this year, and Oswald Wells.

“Ah, I don’t know. Let’s decide after playing this season. I guarantee, if you play, you’ll definitely change your mind. Domingo has been saying he’s retiring like a New Year’s resolution for years now.”

Well. That’s because Domingo is a great player enough to be called a ruler of an era, even if he’s not as good as you, Su-won, right? I’m…

Anthony Volpe swallowed the words rising from within.

2040 Spring Training.

In the exhibition game, the Yankees recorded 8 wins and 13 losses.

***

-Thwack!!!

The cleanly hit ball went over the fence coolly.

It’s only the top of the 2nd inning.

Park Yu-joon, who was hit with a Welcom to MLB cannon, gritted his teeth.

“Su-won, your junior is going to cry.”

“He’s not that kind of guy. He may look like a bear on the outside, but he’s a very cunning guy. He has his own calculations in his head.”

Park Yu-joon. My high school junior by two years.

After I went pro, he led Joongang High very well with Go Han-gyeol, and unlike the upperclassmen who couldn’t send a single player to the pro stage, he achieved the feat of sending as many as 4 players to the pro stage. It is the biggest record since the founding of Joongang High and has not been broken yet.

Anyway, he was also the only player among the four who went pro to succeed as a starter in the pros. Frankly, if you only look at the ceiling, he wasn’t good enough to go to the majors, especially a team like the Yankees, but he was lucky in many ways and the timing was right.

The guy who gave up a cool home run finished the inning calmly with a walk and a double play.

“Ugh, as expected, the major league is difficult. I can’t believe he dug out a changeup that was falling outside and hit it over the fence…”

“It didn’t fall out. It just barely caught it.”

“Was that so?”

If you look at the entire league, he is on the border between the 4th and 5th starters.

Frankly, based on our team in its prime, his skills are barely enough to be a swingman, let alone a starter, but this guy is our team’s 4th starter right now. It means the team’s depth is that bad.

But if you ask if that means we don’t have the power to aim for the championship, well…

***

Objectively, the 2040 New York Yankees were by no means a championship contender. Of course, the possibility itself existed nonetheless. People were mesmerized by Choi Su-won’s large and beautiful 10-year, $580 million contract, but in fact, Choi Su-won’s 10-year, $580 million extension was not a contract that would strain the Yankees’ finances right now. No, even if you only look at the payroll, it was safe to say that it was a contract that reduced $1 million. It was like changing a 5-year contract worth an average of $59 million to a 10-year contract worth an average of $58 million.

Of course, there is no idiot who would tie up liquidity to lower AVV. So, that large and beautiful extension had to be seen as an inevitable move to catch Choi Su-won. But the Yankees’ finances were by no means as serious as they looked on the outside. Above all, the Yankees were very sufficiently enjoying the enormous added value created by Choi Su-won through their own channel, YES Network [Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network].

What they are aiming for is consistent postseason advancement.

It’s okay if there isn’t an overwhelming season like the previous 10 years. It’s not a bad deal if they add one or two more championships in the meantime.

The Yankees’ professional management team judged so.

External views are negative.

Internal expectations are also not expecting a championship.

In that situation, the Yankees recorded 46 wins and 12 losses in April and May, achieving the highest winning percentage in both leagues.

“No, wait a minute. What is it?”

“Why… are they winning?”

In fact, the reason was simple.

Choi Su-won, who had been suffering from injuries and slumps for the past few years and was being evaluated as, ‘As expected, a player who has been overworked from a very young age will age quickly.’ ‘He is becoming a glass body.’, had the greatest April and May in baseball history.

Appeared in 11 games.

9 wins and 1 loss.

78 innings, 6 runs allowed, ERA [Earned Run Average] 0.69

A monster who perfectly discharges the stored stamina into pitching by going on base with a walk every day.

And a crazy hitter who you don’t know when he will hit it over the fence if you bet on him.

Last winter season.

Those who were arguing about the 10-year, $580 million all shut their mouths and quietly began deleting their past posts.

2040.

Hitting that had been completed a long time ago.

And pitching that was finally completed by adding a slider.

─Choi Su-won’s career high is synonymous with GOAT.

The most powerful Choi Su-won in history forcibly dragged the team along.