Everyone is worried and concerned about NC Dinos manager Lee Ho-jun's 'seven starters' plan. Is it still valid?

NC wrapped up its first spring camp in Tucson, Arizona, on the 19th, and entered Tainan, Taiwan, where the second spring camp will be held, on the 21st. After a journey exceeding 30 hours, including transfer time from Tucson, the team arrived in Taiwan on the 21st and took a day of rest on the 22nd to recover from travel fatigue. They will begin their first training on the 23rd and will play a total of eight practice games against Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) teams starting on the 24th.

As the Tucson first spring camp concluded, manager Lee Ho-jun noted, "The players trained with remarkable focus and passion. In my heart, every player is an MVP. It was evident that the players grew through an unseen competition. The coaching staff also passionately guided the team. I didn’t see the coaching staff or support staff walking during player training hours. Everyone was running around, completely committed to the players' training. The biggest achievement is that we completed CAMP 2 in Tucson as one. I will focus on preparing the team's condition not for the evaluation match, but for the regular season."

There are also points of concern. NC’s franchise pitcher Lee Jae-hak, who was preparing to start, was unable to join the Tainan camp due to minor discomfort in his elbow. Initially, manager Lee Ho-jun intended to manage Lee Jae-hak's pitching schedule by rotating him every ten days rather than competing as a regular starter. However, the manager soon lowered his head and said, "I made a foolish remark. I feel sorry as a manager for saying nonsense. I asked him to prepare to compete in a normal rotation." Hearing his words seemed to dampen the spirits of a player who is working hard to break into the starting lineup during the offseason.

With that, manager Lee Ho-jun prepared Lee Jae-hak as part of his ambitious and unconventional seven-starter plan. Ahead of spring camp, manager Lee announced that foreign players Riley Thompson and Logan Allen, along with Lee Yong-chan, who signed a late free agency contract, as well as Shin Min-hyuk, Kim Young-kyu, Kim Tae-kyung, Choi Sung-young, Shin Young-woo, and Lee Jae-hak will all be part of the seven starters.

The manager stated, "There are pitchers like (Shin) Min-hyuk and (Kim) Young-kyu who need management, so I intend to keep all seven starting pitchers in the roster. I am also considering a setup with 14 pitchers and 14 fielders due to the starting pitchers." Typically, a first-team roster consists of 13 pitchers and 15 fielders, but this would be a change to accommodate the seven-starter system. However, with Lee Jae-hak excluded and Kim Young-kyu, who was in rehab, also unable to join ahead of the practice-oriented Tainan camp, young players like Shin Min-hyuk, Shin Young-woo, and Kim Tae-kyung, who are also undergoing elbow surgeries and rehabilitation, will compete for the starting positions.

Of course, the seven-starter system will not continue throughout the season. It is temporary at the beginning of the season. Nevertheless, there are significant concerns and risks. If the seven-starter system operates ideally, NC could achieve more than expected in the opening nine games against KIA, Samsung, and LG. However, many are shaking their heads at manager Lee Ho-jun's seven-starter plan. If the plan goes awry, there is no way to avoid bullpen overload from the start of the season.

As spring camp progresses, is manager Lee Ho-jun's ambitious seven-starter plan still valid? Has he considered different operational strategies for the pitching staff during the Tucson camp? What concept is managing to form in the mind of manager Lee, who has been conferring with pitching coach Seo Jae-eung and Lee Yong-hoon?

[OSEN=Tainan, Taiwan, reporter Jo Hyung-rae]