FA player Hanwha Eagles infielder Ha Joo-seok (31), who faced the harsh realities of the free agent market and signed a bargain contract, has been called up to the first team. After swinging a bat with a batting average above .400 in the second team, Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon also gave him a chance.

Ha Joo-seok joined the first team ahead of the exhibition game against Doosan Bears held at Cheongju Stadium on the 9th. Before the game, Manager Kim Kyung-moon said, "Ha Joo-seok is coming up today. He has worked hard during this time, so I plan to give him a chance as a shortstop in the remaining exhibition games."

Ha Joo-seok faced the harsh realities of the free agent market last winter. Although he received a Grade B status that would result in compensation players outside of the 25-man protected list, Ha Joo-seok did not receive any offers from any team after applying for free agency. Hanwha opened the possibility of a sign-and-trade, but there was no progress to the stage where cards could be matched.

Ultimately, Ha Joo-seok signed an FA contract on Jan. 8 with Hanwha, under the conditions of a one-year deal worth up to 1.1 billion won (900 million won in salary, 200 million won in options), effectively surrendering. Considering Ha Joo-seok's status from a few years ago, it was a bargain contract. Hanwha, which filled the shortstop position by signing Sim Woo-jun for a maximum of 5 billion won over four years, seemed to have no place for him. There was also YIDO, who can cover multiple infield positions, making it difficult for Ha Joo-seok to be a backup.

Although he signed an FA contract, Ha Joo-seok was expected to be excluded from the first team spring camp roster. It was predicted that it would be difficult for him to come up to the first team unless something unusual occurred. Although rumors circulated that he had fallen out of favor with Manager Kim, that was not the case. The day after the exhibition game opened, Manager Kim called up Ha Joo-seok to the first team and revealed plans to utilize him as a shortstop.

Manager Kim did not overlook Ha Joo-seok, who worked diligently on the Futures team. Ha Joo-seok recorded a batting average of .471 (8 hits in 17 at-bats) in six games during the Futures spring camp held in Kochi, Japan. He had one double and one triple and also earned a walk, showcasing his determination.

For Hanwha, which has been struggling offensively, there was no reason to ignore a hitting sensation like Ha Joo-seok. Hanwha managed only three runs over the last three games of spring camp, indicating their batting troubles. The two consecutive exhibition games against Doosan on the 9th and 10th also yielded only 4 and 2 runs, respectively, from a total of six hits in both games.

Even if adjusting his hitting pace corresponds with the season start, overall batting cycles are not good. A hitter capable of changing the atmosphere in the stagnant lineup was needed, and along with Ha Joo-seok, rookie Jung Min-kyu, who completed military service and returned from the Armed Forces team, also joined the first team that day.

Ha Joo-seok, who was substituted as a defensive replacement for the shortstop in the top of the eighth inning, made his presence known in the bottom of the ninth with a hit. With two outs and no runners on base, the previous batter, Choi In-ho, reached on a walk, and that led to Ha Joo-seok's at-bat opportunity. Amid cheers from the Cheongju fans, Ha Joo-seok faced Doosan's hard-throwing pitcher Kim Yu-sung and hit a high fastball outside on the fourth pitch for a single to left field. On that day, Kim Yu-sung threw fastballs with a top speed of 153 km/h and had 2 hits, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts, and no runs over four innings. The fact that Ha Joo-seok connected solidly at a good timing against such a pitcher indicates that his hitting form looks certainly good.

Hanwha has to utilize Sim Woo-jun, who was brought in at a high cost, as the starting shortstop. While he is recognized as an elite defender and baserunner in the league, his batting leaves much to be desired. He struggled during spring camp with a batting average of .185 and started the exhibition games with 0 hits in 7 at-bats. Ha Joo-seok could potentially provide support for Sim Woo-jun's batting. By using him as a pinch hitter in critical moments of the game and later putting him in as a shortstop, it can also reduce the consumption of position player substitutions.

Additionally, there is also the designated hitter spot available. If Ha Joo-seok can show competitiveness in batting, he could easily increase his value in the first team. Despite being limited to 64 games last year due to hamstring injuries and defensive uncertainties, he posted a batting average of .292 (40 hits in 137 at-bats) with 1 home run and 11 RBIs, demonstrating decent hitting performance. If he can maintain that consistency without injury this year, there is no way Hanwha can afford not to utilize him.

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