The KIA Tigers, who finished the regular season in 6th place last year, had a busier winter than ever before, aiming to be in the middle or higher. Many tasks were solved one by one, including a finishing camp in which a large number of key players participated, a second draft, external recruitment, and contracts with existing players.

It is not easy for any team or general manager to complete the Stove League with 100% perfection. Still, KIA made efforts to minimize power leakage. As a result, there is no significant difference in power compared to last year, except that both foreign pitchers' positions have changed.

As coach Kim Jong-guk, who was approaching the final season of his contract, he also had a strong desire to produce results.

Coach Kim Jong-kook, who was appointed as the 10th coach in December 2021 for a three-year contract with a total of 1.05 billion won (down payment of 300 million won and annual salary of 250 million won), is attracting attention as a 'one-club man' who has only played for the Tigers since his professional debut. collected. He was also highly regarded within his team for his understanding of the players and leadership, as he frequently communicated with them not only as a player but also as a coach.

In 2022, the first year of coach Kim Jong-guk's tenure, KIA failed to reach the .500 winning percentage with 70 wins, 1 draw, and 73 losses (0.490). However, they survived the semifinal competition that lasted until the second half of the season, finishing the regular season in 5th place, and were the last of the 5 teams to advance to the postseason. The result of the wild card match against KT Wiz was a 2-6 loss.

KIA, which had set its sights on fall baseball for two consecutive years, suffered from a series of injuries last year. Less than half of the entire game was played with a ‘complete team’. KIA, which started a last-minute spurt with 9 consecutive wins in early September, finished the regular season in 6th place and was not invited to the fall baseball season.

Two seasons had passed, and coach Kim Jong-kook was approaching the final season of his contract.

Players who suffered last year were dreaming of taking a leap forward. Outfielder Choi Hyeong-woo, the protagonist of the 'oldest non-FA contract', said, "There is one thing that is certain. I think our team will do well starting this year. Unlike before, expectations for this year are very high. Previously, the juniors were not polished, but now they are 2. “It’s been about four years and I’ve grown a lot,” he said, raising his voice.

Infielder Kim Do-young, who is in the midst of rehabilitation, said, "I don't have any goals for records. I haven't achieved my goal of playing the season full-time for two years in a row, so I really want to achieve that this year. Please support KIA so that it can rise to a higher level. “I hope so,” he said, expressing his will to advance to the postseason.

Seo Geon-chang, a 'transfer' who signed with KIA this winter for a total of 120 million won (annual salary 50 million won, option 70 million won), said, "When I joined, I said to general manager Shim Jae-hak, 'I want to win.' I am very happy to be a member of a strong team, and the team “I want to help in areas where it is needed,” he said, emphasizing team goals rather than individual performance.

The spring camp location has also changed. KIA, which held spring camps in Arizona, USA (1st round) and Okinawa, Japan (2nd round) last year, changed the location of the first camp to Canberra, Australia. It was determined that the two factors of warm weather and smooth adaptation to time difference would be of great help to the players' training. 

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