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Lotte is at a crossroads again: Should they open their wallet this winter?

  • Writer: Junhwi Lee
    Junhwi Lee
  • Nov 19
  • 2 min read

Nov 19, 2025

Junhwi Lee



On November 8, the KBO announced the list of players approved for FA in 2026. Big names like Kang Baek-ho, Jang Sung-woo, and Hwang Jae-gyun (KT), Park Chan-ho and Choi Hyung-woo (KIA), Kim Hyun-soo and Park Hae-min (LG), Son Ah-seop (Hanwha), Kang Min-ho (Samsung), Choi Won-jun (NC), and Lee Young-ha and Choi Won-jun (Doosan) all filed to test the market. Still, four days in, no one has signed—a different pace from last year, when the top targets picked teams right away.


The two players drawing the most attention are Kang Baek-ho and Park Chan-ho. Kang hit .265 with 15 homers and 61 RBIs in 2025. Not eye-popping for his name value, but if he stays healthy, he’s a solid bet for 20 homers and 80 RBIs. Park posted a .287 average with 27 steals in 134 games and played elite defense at shortstop—exactly what clubs with shortstop issues are looking for.


Lotte needs both a true everyday shortstop and a middle-of-the-order bat. They haven’t made a major external FA splash in two years, and the playoff drought keeps dragging on. The need and the motivation to spend are obvious. Both Park and Kang could turn weaknesses into strengths. The sticking point is cost. After Shim Woo-jun signed a four-year, 5 billion won deal with Hanwha last winter, Park’s contract is expected to exceed that. Kang, born in 1999 with clear upside when healthy, could command a megadeal—especially if multiple teams jump in.


The hesitation is understandable. After the 2022 season, Lotte went big and paid for it. They gave Yoo Kang-nam (4 years, 8 billion won), Noh Jin-hyuk (4 years, 5 billion), and Han Hyun-hee (3+1 years, 4 billion) a combined 17 billion won, but none delivered to expectations. Noh was dropped from the first-team shortstop plan in 2025, Han made only three first-team appearances, and Yoo’s performance didn’t match the size of his contract. Historically, Lotte’s big FA signings rarely led to immediate results anyway.


To land outside FAs this winter, they’ll likely need a war chest similar to three years ago. It takes nerve to open the wallet again after getting burned, but if Lotte wants real change, a bold move may be unavoidable. Whether they push past the fear and make that call is the real storyline to watch this offseason.





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