The assessment of the trade changed in one day. KIA Tigers, which ambitiously brought pitcher Jo Sang-woo (31), showed the form the team had desired by making up for his poor performance from the previous day.
For Jo Sang-woo, it was a weekend that oscillated between extremes. On the 29th of last month, while leading 4-3 against Hanwha in Daejeon, Jo Sang-woo was called to relief in the 7th with two outs and a runner on second base but was pulled in the 8th after giving up two hits and with one out, runners on second and third base. His fastball's maximum speed did not overwhelm the opponent at 145 km/h, and in a tense situation, he handed the mound over to Hwang Dong-ha. Hwang Dong-ha, facing a pinch hitter, gave up a timely hit to Ahn Chi-hong, resulting in a comeback loss, and Jo Sang-woo, having allowed two runs, suffered his first defeat since his transfer.
Jo Sang-woo, who faced a rough initiation with no outs recorded and one hit and two walks in the opening game against NC on the 22nd of last month, did not have a good start to the season. Even though only 10 games had been played, evaluations labeled KIA's trade as unfavorable.
KIA gave up 1 billion won in cash and two rookie draft picks (a 1st round pick overall 10th and a 4th round pick overall 40th) to Kiwoom in exchange for Jo Sang-woo last December. With the bullpen's closing pitcher Jang Hyun-sik moving to LG as a free agent, KIA took a gamble by using up two rookie draft picks to acquire Jo Sang-woo.
The trade was possible because Jo Sang-woo was a prospective free agent and Kiwoom was in a rebuilding phase. Several teams sought the proven bullpen pitcher Jo Sang-woo, but KIA acted swiftly. On the other hand, it was somewhat troubling for KIA that Kiwoom, which judged its own players' peaks well, sent Jo Sang-woo away.
Five days after the trade was enacted, KIA announced that an MRI scan showed no unusual findings in Jo Sang-woo's shoulder and elbow. The late-season shoulder inflammation that required injection treatment and early termination of the season after pitching 4 games for 4 innings had raised concerns. It seemed that the anxiety manifested as Jo Sang-woo did not show his form during the early part of the season when he was at his best.
However, KIA manager Lee Beom-ho did not lose faith. Ahead of the game against Hanwha on the 30th, Lee Beom-ho noted about Jo Sang-woo, "We need to wait now. There are no issues with his body at all, so his speed will come up," adding, "With injuries happening from the start, and the team being shaken, we should not shake any player. I will ensure that the players are prepared without being disturbed."
On that day, Jo Sang-woo responded directly to the faith placed in him. With the score at 5-3 and one out, runners on first and second in the 7th inning, Jo Sang-woo was brought in and struck out Hanwha's 4th hitter Noh Si-hwan with a high fastball, then induced Chae Eun-sung into a groundout to shortstop, dousing the immediate fire. In the 8th, he easily retired Kim Tae-yeon with a fly out to right field, struck out Choi In-ho, and ground out Moon Hyun-bin to get through the inning without allowing any runs, completely extinguishing Hanwha's hope of a comeback.
Thanks to Jo Sang-woo's perfect hold of 1⅔ innings and two strikeouts without allowing any runs, KIA also won 5-3, ending a four-game losing streak and creating a turning point in momentum. He raised his maximum speed to 148 km/h, and with the sharpness of his slider returning, he made up for the poor performance from the previous day. Manager Lee Beom-ho also praised, "Jo Sang-woo's flawless performance in 1⅔ innings during a crisis situation was a great help to the team's victory."
Jo Sang-woo expressed, "There were many runners on base, and it was a tight situation, but I went up to the mound with the same mindset as always. I thought I had to pitch well to break the losing streak, and I was able to pitch as I envisioned."
He continued, "The chemistry with the catcher (Han Jun-soo) was good, and all the players did their best in their respective positions, which I think allowed us to win. Everyone concentrated on breaking the losing streak, and it seems the players' conditions are gradually improving," adding, "There are still many games left, but I will manage my body well to avoid injuries while further increasing my speed and pitching quality."
If the chilly weather eases up, we can expect a fastball in the 150 km/h range like when he was at Hanchang. It's not too late to evaluate the trade after that.
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