Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 222

The Mound’s Villain – Episode 222

News of Ha-sung’s transfer swept the globe.

Countries organized emergency programs to report on Ha-sung’s trade.

[Jung Ha-sung, who has been playing in Major League Baseball, has been traded to the New York Yankees. The news of this trade, announced just hours after the All-Star Game, was revealed simultaneously by the New York Yankees and the Oakland Athletics.]

Normally, trade news surfaces through articles before the team’s official announcement.

Reporters uncover information through their sources and publish it.

The usual procedure is for the team to confirm the facts, after which it becomes public knowledge.

However, this time, the team made the announcement before the media could.

[Local media is also very surprised by this fact. We will be talking with Major League Baseball expert Han Sung-guk about this trade.]

[Hello?]

[Thank you for coming. First of all, the local media was caught off guard by this trade. How do you interpret this?]

[It’s simple. It means the deal moved so quietly that the local media didn’t even know about it.]

[Quietly?]

[Yes. Usually, when trade news is brewing, local reporters hear whispers from team staff. After verifying the reliability of the source, they publish an article. But this time, there was no such news at all.]

Even locally, they were very surprised by this trade.

Rumors had surfaced before, but no one anticipated the trade would actually be confirmed.

[What we can infer from this is that this trade was orchestrated at a higher level than the team staff or general manager.]

[Higher-ups, like the team owners?]

[I believe the team owners were involved, perhaps even someone above them.]

[The owners?]

[Yes. And I suspect the trade was made through direct discussions between the owners, bypassing the executives. Otherwise, it was conducted with such secrecy that I doubt it could have moved this discreetly.]

Han Sung-guk’s reasoning was plausible.

The secrecy surrounding the trade lent credence to his inference.

[Local media outlets are largely baffled by this trade. What is your opinion, Mr. Han?]

[I share a similar view. I think the Athletics rushed the trade. Although Jung Ha-sung’s salary is increasing rapidly, and Oakland may not be able to afford the raise next year.]

To date, Ha-sung’s WAR [Wins Above Replacement, a comprehensive baseball statistic] has exceeded 13.

The reason for this unusually high figure is that he is a versatile, two-way player.

If he maintains the same performance in the second half as in the first half, his WAR is projected to exceed 20.

Considering this potential, Ha-sung’s salary was by no means excessive.

The problem is that Oakland is struggling to afford it.

Even so, trading him at this juncture was difficult to comprehend.

[The most baffling aspect is that Oakland is in contention for the championship, right?]

[That’s right. It was a rather unexpected choice for Oakland, currently leading the American League West, to trade a key player like Jung Ha-sung.]

[Many experts are predicting that Oakland has given up on winning the championship?]

[In fact, I believe this was largely influenced by Oakland owner Lewis Wolff.]

[The owner’s influence?]

[Yes. Lewis Wolff has been trying to sell Oakland for some time. To that end, he has made several attempts, such as relocating the team. But all failed, only to incur the antipathy of local fans.]

[Clearly, the public perception of owner Lewis Wolff is at an all-time low.]

[Yes. And recently, news has surfaced that the team is being sold. However, the deal hasn’t been finalized due to several complications.]

[Did that affect this trade of Jung Ha-sung?]

[That’s highly likely. Jung Ha-sung is clearly an irreplaceable player in Major League Baseball, but if you view the team as a business, he also represents a significant salary commitment.]

At first glance, it’s hard to understand.

How can an irreplaceable star be a burden?

But if you look at Major League Baseball as a business, Ha-sung was a highly paid employee.

This employee makes a huge contribution, but it can be a burden for a business owner who has no intention of significantly expanding the company.

And what if the employee’s salary continues to rise?

Of course, if that employee continues to generate revenue, the company can grow.

But that’s an uncertain future.

Many business owners prefer to maintain a stable present.

[From the perspective of operating in a small market like Oakland, it’s impossible to indefinitely increase operating expenses and salaries. It is very difficult to lower a salary once it has been raised. In addition, this trade is on the condition that the Yankees bear the salary in exchange for receiving A-class players.]

[That’s a very unusual condition.]

[Yes. In fact, Oakland is making a profit. They can reduce expenses and increase the team’s overall strength.]

Many people argued that this trade was beneficial for both teams.

Oakland receives three players who can contribute immediately.

One pitcher, one outfielder, and one utility infielder.

The average WAR of the three was 3.4, which is respectable.

In particular, both hitters were projected to hit double-digit home runs in the league.

Their argument was that Ha-sung’s departure could be adequately compensated for.

[But Oakland fans seem to have a strong negative reaction to this trade.]

[From the fans’ perspective, regardless of the team’s financial situation, they have traded away their superstar, so they are bound to feel resentment. Given the precedent of selling former superstar Giambi, I am curious to see how this situation will be resolved.]

After that, the story surrounding Ha-sung’s trade continued to dominate sports news.

It wasn’t just one channel covering it.

Dozens, even hundreds, of channels around the world simultaneously reported on Ha-sung’s trade.

But Ha-sung couldn’t see those reports.

While the world was buzzing about his trade, he was face to face with Chris.

“I should have told you myself. I’m sorry.”

Chris, facing Ha-sung, apologized.

But Ha-sung shook his head.

“Anyway, this was something the general manager didn’t even know about, right?”

“That’s right, but……”

“There’s no reason to apologize for that. And trades are just part of the game for players. Don’t worry about it.”

“I feel much better hearing you say that. Thank you.”

Ha-sung was sincere.

Originally, Chris should have been in Oakland, planning for the second half of the season.

There was no reason for him to come all the way to Atlanta, where the All-Star Game was held.

Nevertheless, he was here because of him.

To see him off as he left the team.

“Thank you for everything. Thanks to the general manager’s trust and support, I was able to quickly adjust to Major League Baseball.”

“Even if it wasn’t me, with your talent, it would have been only a matter of time before you succeeded in the Major League.”

“I think so too, but the fact that the general manager helped me remains.”

Chris chuckled.

*He’s complimenting himself, even if it’s true.*

“You are different from the other Asians I know.”

“Is that an advantage?”

“Of course. It’s a definite advantage. And that advantage will continue when you go to the Yankees.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Now it was time to say goodbye.

“Next time we meet, we’ll be rivals, but……”

Chris extended his hand.

“It was an honor to have you on the team.”

Ha-sung shook his hand.