Trade Winds Gather
The final day of the three-game series against the Daegu Eagles had arrived, and trade preparations were underway. As always, I showed up early for training and got ready for the game, but my name wasn't in the starting lineup again today. Sigh… another day off. I'd started the second game and performed well enough to secure a win, but I was benched for the finale once more. Still, it wasn't so bad. Honestly, I was a bit tired anyway. With the heat and the grueling schedule, a break sounded perfect. I was settling into the dugout to watch the game when someone approached.
"Hu-seong."
I turned to see Son Tae-ho sunbae standing there.
"Doesn't it suck not playing today?"
He plopped down naturally in the seat next to me.
I shook my head. "I'm fine, sunbae. Sure, I'm just a tiny bit disappointed… but I'm learning other things right now, so it's okay."
"Other things?"
Son Tae-ho looked intrigued.
"Yeah. Being in the dugout lets me see stuff that totally flies under the radar during a game. Defensive positioning, pitcher change timing… and the overall flow is so much clearer. I can even kinda guess what the manager's thinking. Plus, I get why you guys make certain plays—it's helpful."
Son Tae-ho nodded, his expression saying it was worth hearing.
"Ooh, a rookie's already picking up on that."
That has to be a compliment, right?
"But don't overthink it too soon. Once you start analyzing everything, baseball stops being fun."
"Huh? Tsk. Really?"
"Yeah, pretty much. Vets have to understand team dynamics whether they like it or not, so they end up obsessing over game situations. But overthinking kills your performance. Of course, for you as a table-setter… maybe it's good to strategize a bit. Like how Min-seok plays smart. Anyway… anything else you've learned?"
Other lessons…
"Oh! And skipping a game like this really helps with stamina recovery. With the heat lately and ramping up training, my body's been feeling heavy, but this break has me almost fully recharged. I had no idea games drained so much physical and mental energy."
Son Tae-ho gave me a once-over and chuckled softly.
"If you're not just bullshitting, you're on the right track."
He patted my shoulder.
"Keep that mindset. Your pace is solid right now. Got it?"
"Yep!"
With that, he got up and headed toward the dugout entrance.
The game ended, and I was getting ready to head out. That's when I ran into Im Jae-min and Yoo Seong-jae sunbaes near the locker room entrance. They spotted me and smirked mockingly.
Im Jae-min spoke first. "Hey, good work out there today, sunbae. Can't even say something that basic?"
I froze for a second. Huh? I'd already greeted everyone when we came back in after the game… Now they wanted it again?
I realized it quick, though. Ah, they've started a few games lately and think their spot's secure? I nearly laughed it off but held back. No point starting drama. I was about to brush it off politely when Yoo Seong-jae jumped in.
"What, getting pissy 'cause you're getting squeezed out? Manage your face better. Hide that shit. Son Tae-ho sunbae warned us to watch out, but that includes you too, right?"
"Exactly. Hey, it's not like you can play every game~. Gotta learn to keep yourself in check. Be nice to your sunbaes, y'know? Act a little sweeter. Got it?"
He patted my shoulder and added, "All that cocky crap you've pulled so far? We can overlook it~. Just be more careful, yeah? For both our sakes~."
Grind… Blood rushed to my head the second I heard that. Overlook? Careful? What the hell had I done to deserve this…? Who started this mess anyway? Swears nearly boiled up my throat, but I swallowed them. Forcing a neutral face, I said,
"Yes. Good game."
Whew… barely held it together. I tried to slip past quick, but their snide voices from behind hit my ears anyway.
"Ooh, yeah yeah. Bowing and scraping—real classy."
Im Jae-min tsked.
"Kekeke. Did you see his sour face?"
Yoo Seong-jae snickered along, and they fake-laughed their way off together.
Sigh… Just endure it. Don't get sucked in. I repeated that to myself.
Once they were gone, Ha Jin-woo, who was nearby, let out a small sigh.
Oh no… Ha Jin-woo, first-base backup and pinch-hitter extraordinaire. He'd debuted around the same time as those two and was tight with them, so I stayed on guard. But his words were different.
"Ignore whatever they say. They're clueless about what's really going down."
Huh? No sarcasm in his tone. He sounded like someone in the know. Ha Jin-woo glanced around before continuing.
"Sure, if their goal is to ship out of here, it's pointless… but they have no idea what winds are blowing through the team right now. They probably think things are just going back to normal."
I nodded slightly at Ha Jin-woo's words. He was right. The shift had definitely begun. Times were flipping upside down. For one clear purpose. But those guys seemed oblivious to it. At least, that's what I was convinced of.
"So ignore 'em and do you."
"You're saying that 'cause those two might not be around long?"
"Hmm… long-term? Nah, I don't think so. Even if players move teams, we see 'em forever here. This ain't America. Odds are we'll cross paths again."
"Ah! True…"
In the main conference room of the Gocheok Turkeys' front office, the GM sat across from the strategy analysis team. With the pitching staff hitting its limit, there was really only one option left to save the team: trades.
The Turkeys GM flipped through papers and sighed deeply.
"Let's trade for position players, even if it costs us a bunch. No hope with this pitching staff."
The strategy analysis team lead asked cautiously, "But… that could unbalance things. Our position player depth would thin out compared to pitching."
The GM furrowed his brow but nodded right away. "I know. We'll patch the gaps with next year's rookie draft, and trim the excess positions by talent. Got it?"
The GM's words hinted at a massive roster overhaul, leaving the analysis team with stiff expressions, like a bloodbath was brewing. But it was necessary, so they nodded.
"…Understood. We'll compile a list then."
A staffer turned their laptop toward the GM and team lead.
"Here are five solid position player candidates for trade."
Outfielders: Kim Seok-hyeon, Yoo Seong-jae
Infielders: Ha Jin-woo, Im Jae-min, Hong Yu-chan
The GM stared at the list for a long time. Familiar names. All had shuttled between 1G and 2G, growing steadily, occasionally cracking the starting lineup as reliable backups. And all had solid trade value.
"I'd like to ship out… three of these and bring in three."
The Turkeys GM stated firmly.
The strategy lead raised an eyebrow. "What caliber pitchers are we targeting?"
"Closer tier… probably too much."
The GM tapped the table with his fingers.
"Sigh… Opponents won't let closers go. Just like we won't. Grab some solid setup guys instead. We're giving decent everyday backups, so it should balance."
But it wouldn't be easy. Pitchers always carried more value than position players. The team lead posed the key question next.
"So, what profile do we keep? We need criteria."
The GM answered without hesitation. "Keep the steady defenders. Defense is the foundation."
He added, "And in this hitting-premium era, good bats have higher value, so they're easier to move. Prioritize offensive backups for trades."
In short: retain strong defenders, offload high-value hitters.
The team lead checked the laptop again and nodded. "Got it. We'll mark three based on that."
The strategy analysis team lead easily selected the three.