KT Wiz Likely to Retain Hwang Jae-gyun, Jang Sung-woo Despite Lotte Speculation

[OSEN=Lee Hoo-kwang] Will Hwang Jae-gyun return to the Lotte Giants? Despite various speculations surrounding a meaningful SNS post, the possibility of him joining Lotte remains low. His original team, KT Wiz, is continuously negotiating to retain both Hwang Jae-gyun and Jang Sung-woo.

Hwang, currently an unsigned free agent, recently drew significant attention from baseball fans by posting a photo of seagulls against a Busan beach backdrop on his personal SNS account. Speculative posts questioning whether he might return to Lotte, the team he previously played for, flooded baseball communities. The level of interest was so high that a new term, 'Hwang Again,' was coined.

To cut to the chase, this turned out to be a simple misunderstanding. Hwang was merely spending his leisure time in Busan, and Lotte, having declared their withdrawal from the external FA market by emphasizing youth development, is effectively out of the picture. If Hwang signs a contract, it is highly likely to be with KT.

After the 2025 season, Jang Sung-woo exercised his second personal FA right, while Hwang Jae-gyun exercised his third. Jang is classified as Grade B, and Hwang as Grade C. Jang's four-year, 4.2 billion Korean won contract with KT has expired, as has Hwang's four-year, 6 billion Korean won contract.

Both players remain competitive in their respective positions despite their ages. Hwang, even after relinquishing his third base position due to Heo Kyung-min's arrival this season, demonstrated strong durability by playing 112 games with a .275 batting average, 7 home runs, 48 RBIs, 50 runs scored, and an OPS of .715. While third base is his primary position, he has the advantage of being able to play all infield positions.

Jang, on the other hand, is an irreplaceable starting catcher. Despite frequent injuries this year, he recorded 102 hits, 14 home runs, and a .247 batting average. From behind the plate, he played a significant role in building KT's powerful pitching staff, contributing to the establishment of a 'pitcher kingdom.' KT manager Lee Kang-cheol often remarked, 'There are many young pitchers on our team who desperately need Jang. The difference between Jang wearing the catcher's mask and not is like night and day.'

The two players attended the KT Wiz Fan Festival at the end of last month, demonstrating loyalty to KT fans and indicating their intention to stay. Typically, unsigned FA players do not participate in fan festivals. If a player's stay is confirmed before the festival, they naturally share the joy of the contract with the fans; otherwise, they focus on FA negotiations during this period. However, both players decided to participate and engaged with KT fans through various events.

Jang stated that day, 'Brother Hwang and I both felt we should naturally attend the fan festival to repay the fans' support with the same heart. The fans are very interested in the FA contracts, so please wait just a little longer,' expressing his commitment to remaining with KT.

KT, which has already signed Han Seung-taek (4 years, 1 billion Korean won), Choi Won-jun (4 years, 4.8 billion Korean won), and Kim Hyun-soo (3 years, 5 billion Korean won) in the FA market, is currently negotiating with internal FA duo Jang Sung-woo and Hwang Jae-gyun to retain them. Although they are not lifetime KT players, the team is determined to secure contracts with them, given their franchise-level performances over the years.

A KT official told OSEN, 'We have officially met with the two players to discuss contract details. Since both are veteran players who have played significant roles for our team, there have been some differences in stance between the players' side and the club.' The official added, 'However, the club is fully considering these factors and is capable of making adjustments. It seems the contract process will take a bit more time.'

Hwang Jae-gyun's Busan SNS Post Fuels Lotte Rumors