The reason why the professional baseball KT Wiz has captured a veteran pitcher who turned 40 this year with a hefty amount of 700 million won has been revealed.

KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-cheol praised veteran Woo Gyu-min (40) for his performance before the second game of the season against the Doosan Bears of the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League, held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 26th.

Woo Gyu-min made an appearance in relief in the match against Doosan on the 25th, showcasing 1 inning without allowing a run, with 1 strikeout and demonstrated stability. Coming in during the top of the 8th inning with an 8-3 lead, he recorded a fly out for the first batter Yang Ui-ji on the first pitch, struck out Yang Seok-hwan on a swinging strikeout, and caught Oh Myung-jin with a ground ball to the shortstop, easily finishing the inning with just 8 pitches.

Manager Lee Kang-cheol noted, “(Woo) Gyu-min is an indispensable presence. He's great to use when leading by about 3-4 runs. Isn't he a pitcher who doesn't issue walks?” He praised, “In that regard, he is being well utilized. Watching his pitches, he really handles the opposition well. He knows how to effectively utilize the pitches he has.”

Woo Gyu-min, who was a member of the Samsung Lions, transferred to KT through last year's second draft and showcased a comeback performance with a record of 45 games, 4 wins, 1 loss, 1 save, and 4 holds, with an earned run average of 2.49. Then in November last year, he signed a free agent contract totaling 700 million won over 2 years (with a signing bonus of 200 million won, an annual salary of 400 million won, and options worth 100 million won).

There were also questionable views toward KT for offering a 2-year contract worth 700 million won to a 40-year-old pitcher, but Woo Gyu-min has responded to the trust of the club and the manager by continuing his strong performance with 2 games and 2 innings without allowing a run this year.

Meanwhile, KT set its starting lineup against Doosan's left-handed starter Choi Seung-yong as follows: Kang Baek-ho (designated hitter), Mel Rojas Jr. (right fielder), Heo Kyung-min (third baseman), Kim Min-hyeok (left fielder), Jang Seong-woo (catcher), Hwang Jae-kyun (first baseman), Oh Yun-seok (second baseman), Bae Jeong-dae (center fielder), and Kim Sang-soo (shortstop). The starting pitcher is So Hyeong-jun, who will return to the starting lineup for the first time in about 2 years since May 10, 2023, against the NC Dinos.

The first-team roster registered starting pitcher So Hyeong-jun and removed outfielder Song Min-seob.

So Hyeong-jun, who successfully completed rehabilitation after elbow surgery, is expected to throw around 80 pitches on this day.

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