A whopping 23 billion won was invested in the released hitter, and it was truly a huge hit.
On the 20th (Korean time), the official Major League Baseball website (MLB.com) ranked the best off-season signings that contributed to the performance of postseason qualifying teams from 1st to 10th.
The first place ranked by ‘MLB.com’ was Chicago Cubs’ shortstop Dansby Swanson. The Cubs signed Swanson for 7 years and $177 million (about 235.4 billion won) in the free agent market ahead of this season. Swanson has a batting average of .249 with 20 home runs and 74 RBIs, and as a Gold Glove winner in the National League shortstop category last year, he also boasts stable defense. The media gave a favorable review, saying, “Swanson is recording a win contribution ratio (WAR) compared to replacement player (WAR) of 4.7 based on FanGraphs, with outstanding defense and solid offensive production.”
Then, ‘MLB.com’ selected Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy as second place. Atlanta acquired Murphy after last season through a triangular trade with the Oakland Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers. ‘Murphy, who is already one of the best catchers on defense, moved to Atlanta and took a step forward in offense,’ said ‘MLB.com’. This year, Murphy is batting .262 with 20 home runs and 67 RBIs, all career highs.
Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger, who made a brilliant comeback this year, ranked right in third place. Last year, when he played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bellinger suffered his worst slump with a batting average of .210, 19 home runs, 68 RBI, and 14 stolen bases. He was released as a non-tender and had to leave the Dodgers, and was able to make a fresh start when the Cubs reached out. The Cubs signed a one-year contract with Bellinger for $17.5 million (about 23.3 billion won), which was essentially a gamble. Last year, we also had to endure criticism that we invested too much money in a hitter whose batting average was in the low .200 range.먹튀검증
However, a major reversal occurred. Bellinger appeared in 119 games for the Cubs this season and made a splash with a batting average of .311, an on-base percentage of .356, a slugging percentage of .534, 25 home runs, 91 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases.
‘MLB.com’ said, “The Cubs signed Bellinger to a one-year, $17.5 million guaranteed contract with the hope of regaining the form that earned him National League Rookie of the Year honors in 2017 and National League MVP honors in 2019,” and added, “Bellinger will play in 119 games. He enjoyed a resurgence by producing 25 home runs and 20 stolen bases with a batting average of .311. Although he was considered a trade candidate at this year’s trade deadline, the Cubs played well in the second half of the year with Bellinger playing with a batting average of .326, an on-base percentage of .356, and a slugging percentage of .573. “I was able to enter the National League wild card race again,” he said, saying that the Cubs’ signing of Bellinger was a huge success.
In fact, the Cubs are currently in 3rd place in the National League Wild Card with 78 wins and 72 losses. There are many teams chasing, such as the Cincinnati Reds, Miami Marlins, and San Francisco Giants, but they are only 0.5 games behind the wild card second place Arizona Diamondbacks (79 wins, 72 losses), so a comeback is possible at any time.
Meanwhile, ‘MLB.com’ ranked Miami Marlins’ second baseman Luis Arraez at 4th, Minnesota Twins’ right-hander Pablo Lopez at 5th, Milwaukee’s catcher William Contreras at 6th, and Tampa Bay Rays’ right-hander Jack Eflin at 7th. , Philadelphia Phillies’ shortstop Trey Turner was selected at 8th, Texas Rangers’ right-hander Nathan Evoldi at 9th, and Toronto Blue Jays’ right-hander Chris Bassett at 10th.