Pepper Savings Bank incurring ‘future loss’ due to compensation player trade
Lee Go-eun (28), who returned to her former team Korea Expressway Corporation after a year as Park Jung-ah’s FA (free agent) compensation player, will wear the Pepper Savings Bank uniform again in six days.
Pepper Savings Bank announced on the 2nd that “Ga-eun Choi and the 2023-24 season rookie draft 1st round nomination rights were given to the Korea Expressway Corporation, and Lee Go-eun and Lee Go-eun were traded to obtain the 2023-24 rookie draft 2nd round nomination rights.”
Previously, Pepper Savings Bank recruited Park Jung-ah, the biggest player in the FA market. It is a three-year contract with the highest condition for the V-League women’s division, with an annual total of 775 million won (475 million won in annual salary, 300 million won in incentives).
The Korea Expressway Corporation decided to select 200% of Park Jung-ah’s annual salary (860 million won) from the previous season and one compensation player. The Korea Expressway Corporation, which received a list of protected players (5 players) from Pepper Savings Bank, decided on Lee Go-eun as a reward player on the 26th.
It was the wrong decision of Pepper Savings Bank.
The list of protected players is for all players, including newly recruited free agents. Pepper Savings Bank signed a contract with a total of 4 people, 2 inside and 2 outside, in this FA market. It is said that a list of protected players is made up of a total of five players, including some players signed with FA contracts and rookie-level players. In this process, Lee Go-eun was excluded. It was predicted that the Korea Expressway Corporation, which had the main setter Lee Yoon-jung, would not bother to choose Lee Go-eun.
The Korea Expressway Corporation took a strategic approach and pointed out Lee Go-eun. Lee Go-eun, who played together until a year ago, drew attention as he wore the road construction uniform for the third time (2013-17, 2020-22).
Pepper Savings Bank, caught off guard, fell on fire. Lee Go-eun was the main setter for Pepper Savings Bank in the 2022-23 season. He played 122 sets in 33 matches and finished fourth in the set. Furthermore, Lee Go-eun was a player who was recruited as a free agent under the condition of a total of 990 million won for 3 years a year ago. Right now, there is no clear setter resource to replace Lee Go-eun.ㅋㅋㅋ벳
Pepper Savings Bank hastily started to re-recruit Lee Go-eun. Bleeding was unavoidable for this. Choi Ga-eun (22), who served as the main middle blocker (center) for two seasons, had to give up. Choi Ga-eun, who joined IBK Industrial Bank in the 5th overall in the 2019-20 season, moved to Pepper Savings Bank through a special nomination for the new team in 2021. He is a resource with a promising future enough to play in all games this season and record 233 points and 0.537 blocks per set.
It is the first time in the V-League that a rewarded player returned to his original team through a trade within a short period of time. It seems that there will be a sense of loss that Lee Go-eun gains in this process.
Pepper Savings Bank agreed to obtain the second round nomination right by handing over the precious first round nomination right to the Korea Expressway Corporation. Pepper Savings Bank, which placed last last year, has the highest odds of 35% in the nomination lottery. There is a high probability of getting the 1st pick. The road construction has a higher chance of catching Kim Se-bin (Hanbomgo), which is considered the biggest fish. The Korea Expressway Corporation filled the void caused by Jung Dae-young (GS Caltex)’s FA transfer with Choi Ga-eun, and even obtained the first-round nomination with a high probability of first place. On the other hand, Pepper Savings Bank made a big loss due to the complacent work on the list of protected players.