Time flies, but there is no noticeable change in the free agent market. The five non-contractors still remain "independent."

The 2025 FA market, which had a total of 20 players, opened on November 6 last year. Fifteen of them visited the team and signed autographs.메이저사이트

The latest FA contract is for pitcher Lim Ki-young to stay at the Kia Tigers, which came out on March 21. Lim will continue his three-year stay with Kia for a total of 1.5 billion won (down payment of 300 million won, annual salary of 900 million won, and option of 300 million won).

There were no additional contracts for the next 17 days. The five players, including infielder Ha Joo-seok and Seo Geon-chang, pitcher Lee Yong-chan, Moon Sung-hyun and outfielder Kim Sung-wook, have not been able to visit their teams for more than two months since the opening of the FA.

The problem is time. Each team's spring camp is only about 20 days away. If negotiations drag on and fail to board the plane leaving the camp, preparations for the season could be disrupted. What becomes urgent is, too, the players.

Ha Joo-seok and Lee Yong-chan, who are FAB grade, have a narrower range of movements.

Teams that recruit B-grade players must send one compensation player (25 protected players) and 100% of the previous year's annual salary or 200% of the previous year's annual salary to the original club.

While the team that has to take them has a lot of burden, their recent performance is regrettable.

Ha, who played only 25 games in the 2023 season due to his drunk driving discipline, suffered severe slump with a batting average of 0.114 and two RBIs. He had a batting average of 0.292 with one homer and 11 RBIs in 64 games in the 2025 season, but that was not what his team wanted.

The Hanwha Eagles, Ha Joo-seok's original team, reinforced the infield by recruiting FA infielder Shim Woo-joon this winter, further narrowing Ha's position.

Lee Yong-chan, who experienced a missing child even when he exercised his first FA qualification after the 2020 season, is also facing a cold wind in the second FA.

Lee Yong-chan, who only returned to the mound after signing a contract with NC in May 2021, struggled with a 6.13 ERA with 3 wins, 9 losses, 2 holds, 16 saves in 57 games in 2024, the last year of his contract. In terms of his performance in the second half of the year alone, he was even more shaken with 4 losses, 2 saves and an ERA of 14.67 in 18 games.

Seo Geon-chang, Moon Sung-hyun, and Kim Sung-wook are included in the C-list. Teams that recruit C-list free agents only have to give up their annual salary of 1.5 million won (1.5 million U.S. dollars) to teams without compensation players.

Seo Geon-chang, who is a fourth in the FA team, is setting a table with Kia, his original team. He is gradually narrowing the gap, but has yet to sign a contract.

While playing for Kia this year, Seo showed an Altoran-like performance with a batting average of 0.310 and one homer, 26 RBIs and 40 runs scored. He is also the combined champion of Kia in the 2024 season.

Moon Sung-hyun, who has been wearing the Heroes' uniform since joining the team in 2010, has yet to be heard about his contract. Moon, once a favorite of Kiwoom, was sluggish in 42 games last year with one win, two losses, three saves and an earned run average of 6.57.

Kim Sung-wook, a founding member of NC Dinosaurs, also failed to sign a contract. The NC Dinosaurs set a new standard early on that they would not forcefully hold onto the team.

Lee Ho-joon, manager of NC, said about the FA contract between "House Rabbit" Lee Yong-chan and Kim Sung-wook at the club's recent New Year's party, "I heard that the club is doing its best. Now we have to wait," adding, "The players will also need time to think."