SSG Landers has recruited a short-term substitute for the first consecutive season for the second consecutive year. "I'm really grateful to the team," SSG coach Lee Soo-yong said.
SSG said on the 20th, "We recruited Ryan McBroom (33) for a total of $75,000 (KRW 107 million) as a replacement for Guillermo Herredia's injury."
After the end of the Samsung Lions match on the 10th, Herredia received the first procedure due to symptoms of right thigh abscess (fleeceitis). Originally, it was expected to take about 10 days to return, but after a fallow infection was confirmed at the site of the procedure, the procedure was performed again.
A club official said, "We learned on the 17th that it could take four to six weeks for Herredia to return." SSG, which had been a candidate for a short-term replacement for foreign players since Herredia's departure, immediately contacted McBroom to confirm its intention to go to Korea. The club's choice can vary depending on whether Herredia's return is four or six weeks. The club confirmed its final finding through a superior hospital on the 19th that Herredia needs about six weeks of rehabilitation before returning, and immediately rushed to sign a contract with McBroom.
Since last year, the KBO League has been able to temporarily hire replacement players if existing foreign players leave the team for more than six weeks.
"It was a super-speed contract," a club official said, adding, "We prepared all-nighters for foreigners." When bringing in McBroom just one day after Eredia's long-term departure was confirmed, Lee said, "Thank you to the club. The front desk moved really fast, bringing in a good player." SSG's batting average of 0.222 in the last 10 games is sagging and Choi Jeong-do, a "signal batter," is also missing due to a hamstring injury, which makes it all the more urgent for foreign players to play. "Our team's batting is in a slump. As McBroom has experienced 23 home runs in Japan, I can't wait to see him," Lee said.
Coincidentally, SSG adopted a short-term foreign player replacement system for the first time since the introduction of the new rules last year. There was a successful case of bringing Keisho Shirakawa, who was playing in the Japanese independent league, for 1.8 million yen (18 million won) for six weeks in place of Roenis Elias who suffered an abdominal distention.
McBroom, from Virginia, United States, was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 15th round of the 2014 rookie draft. In 66 games in the three big league seasons (2019-2021), he recorded a batting average of 0.268 with six home runs and a 0.322 slugging percentage. He proved his slugging power by recording 32 home runs (the No. 1 overall in the league) in Triple-A in 2021, and in 2022, he joined Japan's Hiroshima Toyokaf and experienced Asian baseball with 23 home runs and an OPS of 0.749.
The club said, "McBroom, who is 1m 90cm tall and weighs 99kg, is evaluated as a right-handed, big-handed fielder who can play first base and right field. In addition, he is a proven hitter with comprehensive contact skills and various league experiences, and he has been playing in the U.S. independent league since last year and has maintained his sense of play, so I expect him to be an active player immediately to fill the gap in the team's batting lineup." McBroom said, "I'm happy to take on new challenges, and it's my role to adapt to the league and team as soon as possible. I will make sure that I can contribute to the team's batting lineup." 스포츠토토
McBroom is scheduled to arrive in Korea via Incheon International Airport on Monday. Herredia will be listed on the rehabilitation list on Tuesday, and will be able to play in the match against Samsung on June 3 at the earliest.