Winds of Change
As befitting the championship-winning Titans, the front office meeting proceeded in a cheerful, upbeat atmosphere.
"Shall we start by looking over the release list?"
The rough release list had been floating around publicly since mid-season. The players themselves probably had a hunch by now.
"...For now, let's release both of these catchers."
The most notable names on the release list were the two backup catchers who had been used before Jeong Hanseong took over.
"Another first-round pick heading to a release ending."
"Who cares about draft position? They're so scared of pitchers shaking off their signs that they can't even call a pitch properly. And they can't hit worth a damn either."
They weren't just unreliable to the pitchers—they instilled outright fear. Not to mention...
"The players have been talking about it a lot. They're the main culprits dragging down team morale."
"Come to think of it, there were rumors they were subtly isolating Hanseong, too."
"Sigh, these old-timers acting like we're still in high school."
They were players more focused on playing favorites than training, with work ethic to match.
"Normally, we would've cleaned them up during the rebuild..."
"No helping it. They weren't good trade chips."
"And Park Cheongwon couldn't cover a full season alone."
"Hanseong really is a lucky charm the more I think about it."
And with that, about ten releases were finalized.
"Now, let's get into sorting the starting roster properly."
Next up...
"Foreign players first."
The discussion began on the fates of the foreign players who had performed solidly all season.
"We're leaning toward re-signing Frank and Travis as-is."
"Yeah? Well, makes sense..."
Frank Rodriguez was a foreign mercenary the organization had no choice but to love. He'd adapted well to the team and put up good numbers. Above all...
"Nothing's as reliable as a foreign player who's just good enough without being too flashy."
"Frank's not all that appealing to Major League clubs anyway."
Travis Turner, on the other hand, wasn't a finished product yet.
"Honestly, we considered picking a different pitcher instead..."
"That'd be a shame."
But he had that much potential.
"Travis himself and his agent are both positive about re-signing."
"Well, he hit his stride after joining the Titans."
Still, the biggest issue remained...
"James... we can't keep him."
"I figured."
James Gilbert, who had led the Titans' rotation alongside Jin Yuha in the 2040 season. Unfortunately, he'd performed too well to stay in Korea.
"Multiple clubs made offers, right?"
"Yes. Including the Mets."
"That's that, then."
With an offer from his dream team, James Gilbert's jump to MLB was all but certain. Which meant...
"We need a new mercenary..."
"I've got a list ready, but honestly, I doubt anyone will match James."
"Mercenaries are a lottery anyway. James just overperformed."
Silence fell over the meeting room for a moment.
"Anyway, let's tap our connections again later."
"Jin Yuseong?"
"Yeah. If Hyunho asks nicely, something might work out."
"That's how we got Travis, right?"
"Yep. ...Of course, we still need to keep updating the list."
"Naturally."
GM Hyun Myunghoon was planning to cash in the parent privilege once more.
'They wouldn't mind seeing a team with their kid win again, right?'
"Now... onto players leaving the starting lineup."
"Oh Daesoo is retiring first off."
The veteran DH had declared midway through the season that he'd retire at the end.
"Retirement ceremony?"
"He turned it down. Said there's no need for one after just three years here."
"Heh... what a humble guy. That's partly why we brought him on."
Oh Daesoo had been signed cheap as a FA mentor for young players during the rebuild. He'd more than earned his keep.
"Still, let's do something small, even if it's not a big ceremony."
His departure wouldn't be much of a problem, though.
"The DH spot's owner is already set."
Because the player filling Oh Daesoo's shoes next season was already locked in.
"...Think Yuha can handle it?"
Naturally, it was Jin Yuha, who had declared himself a full-time two-way player.
"What, you don't trust Yuha?"
"No, of course I do. Just worried about the stamina."
GM Hyun Myunghoon snorted at the concerned staffers.
"Don't worry about that. He insists he can do it, and the field staff backs him up."
"Really?"
"Plus, we can slot Park Cheongwon as DH occasionally for breaks."
"Well, then..."
But Oh Daesoo wasn't the only departure from the Titans' starting roster.
"Kim Taeyong's transferring."
"Tch... as expected?"
Like Yoon Gangyeol, Kim Taeyong had been traded from the Dragons and manned left field as a starter. Having declared FA this year, he was likely leaving.
"Pistols are pushing hard."
"Makes sense—they're desperate to escape their dark ages like we were."
The Pistols, spurred by the Titans' championship, were playing big in the FA market.
"We're not chasing him aggressively anyway."
"He was a stopgap from the start..."
The Titans didn't desperately need Kim Taeyong. He was part of the championship core, but pro ball was a cold world.
"His spot—we'll see next season, but Jang Munwoo should take it."
"Ah, the guy switching to outfield next year?"
"His bat's too good for just infield backup, and he's got a cannon for an arm."
"Hope he makes it work."
GM Hyun Myunghoon hoped Jang Munwoo would seize this chance.
"The chairman likes him personally..."
Jang Munwoo was the owner's pick, sort of. Along with Kang Gihoo, Jin Yuha, and Jeong Hanseong, he symbolized the rebuild's success.
"Anyway, fill the bullpen gaps and weaknesses with FAs."
Hyun Myunghoon wrapped up the meeting with a satisfied grin.
"We've got money to burn."
The Titans, champions for the first time in 48 years. The owner-chairman had opened his wallet.
Winning for the first time in 48 years didn't quench the thirst for victory. If anything, tasting it for the first time only made the hunger grow.
'Now that we've had a bite.'
Championships were addictive as hell. Back before my regression, that dopamine hit kept me grinding through all the stress.
So the front office was probably hustling right now to win again. But...
'Not my problem.'
Players just had to do their jobs.
"Gahhh!!"
And a player's job was, naturally, training hard to keep improving.
"Gahhhh!!"
Especially for a rookie like me.
"Ugh, so noisy."
I plugged my ears against the horrific screams.
"Huff, huff... Can't a guy scream when it's this brutal?"
"I said you're loud."
This winter, I was set to fully transform into a two-way player. And Jeong Hanseong was naturally part of that training.
"It's all necessary pain. You want your stamina to tank late-season again?"
"Of course... no...!"
Hanseong was all-in himself. Not that he had a choice.
"Hmm."
Lately, I'd been pondering something.
'My body's definitely different from pre-regression.'
Leveraging my regressor edge had boosted my physicals beyond my past life. I'd confirmed it over a full season.
'Velocity's up, for one.'
The nagging feel on my pitches? I'd fixed it myself. My pitching talent was god-given, unmatched.
But...
"Hitting's the issue..."
I asked Dad for advice, and...
- "Why ask me? You're the kid who excels at everything—figure it out. Dad's got a date with Mom."
That was his response.
"Tch."
Still, he hooked me up with his old personal trainer team from his playing days, so Dad had his embarrassing moments.
'Bearded dude's creepy, but...'
The team Dad assembled was...
- "Oh man, what a god-given physique! Makes my mouth water!"
A bit intense, but top-notch skills.
'Not like I didn't know.'
What could I say? We'd been tight pre-regression too. I milked the parent privilege hard.
'Speaking of...'
I'd heard Manager Jeong Hyeonho asked Dad for foreign pitcher recs again. But no solid answer this time.
'How am I supposed to remember every MiLB scrub?'
Travis Turner stuck out because he'd bounced around minors forever. The others I knew were hyped prospects from rookie ball—no way they'd consider KBO.
'Hope they snag a good one.'
Checking my smartphone with that thought...
"Ah."
Close call.
"Hey, I'm heading out."
"Gahhh!! What? Where?"
"Got plans."
"With who? ...No way."
"Yeah, spot on. Meeting Mia."
Hanseong's face crumpled.
"You... bastard!!"
I left him behind and headed to the meetup spot.
'Deal with it.'
Jealous? Get a girlfriend.
'Gotta learn English first?'
Not happening here anytime soon.
While Jin Yuha squeezed in dates with Mia between training sessions—and Jeong Hanseong used the sight as fuel—the stove league was heating up.
"Gotta spend big to land talent for our team anyway."
For a provincial team mired in darkness, splurging on FA was inevitable.
"Hmm... who to take as compensation."
GM Hyun Myunghoon pondered the Pistols' barren roster while keeping other moves rolling.