"I look like KT."

KT has finally signed a multi-year non-FA contract for the first time since its foundation. It is Ko Young-pyo (33), a sidearm pitcher for the Korean national team. Ko is considered one of the most consistent pitchers in the KBO league.

KT Wiz officially announced on Saturday that it signed a five-year, non-FA multi-year contract with pitcher Ko Young-pyo for a total of 10.7 billion won. Of the 10.7 billion won, the guaranteed amount is 9.5 billion won and the incentive amount is 1.2 billion won.

"Ko Young-pyo has won double-digit starts for three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023, and he has established himself as a representative pitcher of the KBO league by ranking first in each category, recording 15.87 War Contribution (WAR) and 63 Quality Start (QS) compared to substitute players," KT said. "Ko Young-pyo is also a franchise pitcher who holds the club record in various categories including the most starts in 127 games, the most wins (55 wins), the most innings (920 ⅔ innings), and the most shutouts (four times). In response, KT signed a multi-year non-FA contract with Ko Young-pyo for the first time in the club," he said, explaining the background of signing a multi-year non-FA contract with Ko Young-pyo.

"Ko Young-pyo is the best franchise star in the team and is taking the center stage in the pitching staff. He is a talented pitcher and a role model for younger players, so he signed a multi-year non-FA contract. I hope he will continue to play the role of ace," KT general manager Na Do-hyeon said.

Immediately after the contract, Ko Young-pyo said through the club, "I am grateful to the club for signing the contract on good terms," adding, "I am really happy to continue my career as a member of KT's founding for a long time. In the future, I will take the mound with a sense of responsibility so that the team can give joy to the fans by winning the championship."

Initially, Ko Young-pyo was able to qualify as an FA after this season. For this reason, he also followed the modifier "the biggest fish in a reserve FA." In the KBO league, where starter resources are scarce, it is all the more difficult to find a player who is as consistent as Ko Young-pyo. If Ko Young-pyo was in the FA market, there is a high possibility that there would have been a "war on recruitment" due to competition among various teams.

Nevertheless, there was something more important than exercising his FA rights. "KT has been with us since we were rookies, so we have affection for the team, and we wanted to stay with KT," Ko said in a telephone interview with "Spot TV News" on Saturday. "We could have gone to the FA market and been recognized for our value, but KT made a good offer. I think I wanted to be with KT more than I wanted to be treated more as a FA," Ko said, explaining the reason why he signed a multi-year non-FA contract instead of the FA.

"I'm happy to be with KT for five years. Thank you so much for treating me well at the club. I'll work hard for the next five years and get good results," Ko said. "KT is a team that has a similar story to mine and many similarities. I had a lot of difficulties after joining the pro league, but as I grew, the KT team also grew. Even after ranking 10th last year, the team showed signs of improvement. The reason why the team remains unchanged even when it ranks 10th is because it is a team that is so powerful and calmly triumphs over the team."

Although KT started the season last year at the bottom of the standings due to a series of injuries, it finished the regular season in second place and successfully advanced to the Korean Series. Although KT had to settle for the runner-up after losing to LG with one win and four losses in the Korean Series, KT is considered one of the most promising teams this year.

"I'm preparing for the new season and I'm in good condition, so I'm looking forward to it. I'm curious about what kind of adversity KT will overcome in the new season," Ko said. "Rohas is a batter who had a great season. I'm looking forward to having a strong player."

Even before Ko Young-pyo completely wrapped up negotiations for a non-FA multi-year contract with KT, news of the negotiations became public, drawing keen attention from fans. KT fans in particular longed for Ko's stay.

"Thank you for always supporting me consistently. Through this contract, I felt that my fans loved me so much. There were a lot of fans waiting for the news of my contract," Ko Young-pyo said, expressing his gratitude to his fans. "I will continue to do my best on the field and off the field to become a player who can share happiness."

KT has joined the 10th KBO League since the Futures League in 2014 and has been playing in the first division since 2015. A graduate of Hwasun High School and Dongkuk University, Ko Young-pyo joined KT after being selected in the second round (10th overall) in the 2014 KBO Rookie Draft.

In fact, he was not an outstanding player from the moment he made his professional debut. As a founding member of KT, Ko appeared in 12 games and pitched 13 ⅔ innings, recording two losses and six-holds without a win.

KT finally joined the main league from the 2015 season, and Ko Young-pyo was able to make his debut in the league. Ko, who played as a midfielder, pitched 57 innings in 46 games in 2015, leaving him with three wins, four losses and a 5.68 ERA, and in 2016, he pitched 56 ⅓ in 53 games, recording two wins, four losses and a 5.59 ERA.

It was in 2017 that Ko Young-pyo tried to turn himself into a starting pitcher. He pitched 141 ⅔ in 25 games, recording eight wins, 12 losses, and a 5.08 ERA. He garnered a shutout victory with six hits, two walks, and six strikeouts in nine innings against LG on April 29, and maintained a three-run ERA (3.53) until May, but his ERA surged to the five-run level as he collapsed to three losses and an 8.67 ERA in June.

It was the same in 2018. Although he allowed seven hits, one walk, one strikeout, and one run in nine innings at the game against KIA on May 24, he failed to continue his momentum. Ko Young-pyo's record in 2018 was six wins, nine losses, and an earned run average of 5.13 in 142 innings in 25 games. 토토사이트먹튀