“카지노사이트Streaky? I love his slider…but his fastball isn’t as good as it used to be.”
Rumours of a replacement are rife. The Lotte Giants have already replaced one foreign player. They still have one replacement card left.
Straylor had a bad first half. He started 16 games and pitched 80⅓ innings, barely going over five innings per game. He was no longer the ace he was in his first year in the KBO, going 15-0 with a 2.50 ERA in 194⅔ innings.
He has also lost the trust of his manager. He has made just four quality starts this season, and has been pulled before the fifth inning five times. There have been six games where he barely made it past the fifth inning.
Even with the addition of Han Hyun-hee and the return of Lee In-bok from injury, it’s hard to say Lotte has a strong starting rotation. Barnes has been pitching up and down, and Na Kyun-ahn, who had a hot April, has faltered after an elbow injury. Spectacles ace Park Se-woong also struggled, giving up six runs in 5⅔ innings against the LG Twins on the 8th, the last game of the first half, and gave up a three-run homer in one inning in the All-Star Game, a start that didn’t mean much. Han Hyun-hee and Lee In-bok bounce back and forth between the starting rotation and bullpen.
Lotte finished the first half of the season with a 9-16 record in June and a 2-6 record in July, losing a precarious five games and the fourth spot in the standings. A turning point is needed to turn things around. This is where the addition of foreign players comes in.
Last season, they released DJ Peters during the All-Star break and brought in Jack Rex. They gave him three more chances in the second half before releasing Glenn Sparkman and bringing back Staley.
This year, they brought in Niko Goodrum to replace Rex ahead of the All-Star break. Will Stratton be given a chance to redeem himself?
The cautious Lotte team has narrowed down the list as much as possible and has been negotiating for a foreign replacement. It is possible that a replacement could be made before the start of the second half on the 21st.
What’s the problem? One veteran hitter I spoke to at All-Star Week was cautious in his assessment of Straily, saying, “He’s a pitcher you just have to watch out for the slider now.” The slider is still powerful. But his fastball, which once touched 150 mph, has dipped to barely above 140 mph. His changeup isn’t as good.
Lotte fielded four players in the Futures All-Star Game and a whopping nine on the day of the All-Star Game. However, the team only resumed training on the 16th of this month after a two-day ‘break’.
During the All-Star break, Staley travelled to Gangwon Province with his family, including a visit to Chuncheon Legoland, to clear his head. He was also plagued by rumours about his departure from the airport. “She joined the team and is focusing on her training,” said a Lotte team official.