LG Twins decline to re-sign 11 players; Jang Si-hwan, last Hyundai player, retires
In short
Baseball club LG Twins said on the 22nd that it will not re-sign 11 players, including pitcher Jang Si-hwan (장시환) and infielder Song Dae-hyeon (송대현), who both announced their retirement. Yonhap described Jang, 38, as the last active player to have played for the defunct Hyundai Unicorns. He did not play a single game for LG.
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LG Twins said on the 22nd that it decided not to re-sign 11 players as it wrapped up its season. Newsis reported that pitcher Jang Si-hwan (장시환) and infielder Song Dae-hyeon (송대현) announced their retirement. [ 1 , 2 ]
Newsis listed the other players as pitchers Lim Jeong-gyun (임정균), Ha Hyeon-gyu (하현규), Kim Ju-on (김주온), Jin U-yeong (진우영), Kim Ji-yong (김지용) and Oh Seung-yun (오승윤), catchers Kim Jun-tae (김준태) and Kim Min-su (김민수), and infielder Kim Jeong-yul (김정율). Yonhap spelled two of the pitchers' names differently, as 진우용 and 우승윤. Sports Chosun said LG made the decision after meetings with players and that the 11 are seven pitchers, two catchers and two infielders. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The outlets differ on how LG's season ended. Newsis said the team was eliminated at the threshold of the playoffs, while Sports Chosun said it lost three straight in the semi-playoff. Sports Chosun said LG plans to start an offseason overhaul and lay the groundwork for player development. [ 1 , 3 ]
Yonhap reported that Jang, 38, was the last active player to have played for the Hyundai Unicorns. It said Hyundai picked him in the 2007 draft, in the second-stage first round with the second pick, and he pitched in three first-team games that season. Hyundai won Korean Series titles in 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2004 but disbanded after the 2007 season, Yonhap said, after trouble at its parent group and a serious shortage of funds. [ 2 ]
Yonhap said Hyundai players moved to the Woori Heroes, founded in 2008 and now called Kiwoom, and that Oh Jae-il (오재일), Lim Chang-min (임창민), Jung Hoon (정훈) and Hwang Jae-gyun (황재균) retired last year, leaving Jang as the only one still active. Sports Chosun said Jang played for Hyundai, Nexen (now Kiwoom) Heroes, KT Wiz, Lotte Giants and Hanwha Eagles before joining LG ahead of the 2026 season, and made no regular-season appearance for the club. [ 2 , 3 ]
Newsis said Jang was released by Hanwha after last season and was picked by LG on December 22. After joining, he said he expected to keep hearing the Hyundai tag for two or three more years, which Newsis described as showing his will to extend his career. Yonhap gave his career record as 416 appearances, 29 wins, 74 losses, 34 saves, 35 holds and a 5.31 ERA, and said he holds the record for most consecutive losses, 19, from September 27, 2020 to April 1, 2023, while with Hanwha. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
Yonhap framed Jang's retirement as the end of an era, since no active player from the Hyundai Unicorns remains. Sports Chosun said LG plans to begin an offseason overhaul and build up player development.
Key facts
- LG Twins said on the 22nd that it decided not to re-sign 11 players. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Pitcher Jang Si-hwan (장시환) and infielder Song Dae-hyeon (송대현) announced their retirement. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Sports Chosun said the 11 comprise seven pitchers, two catchers and two infielders. [ 3 ]
- Jang, 38, was the last active player who had played for the Hyundai Unicorns, Yonhap reported. [ 2 ]
- Jang made no appearance for LG after joining the club. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Jang's career record was 416 appearances, 29 wins, 74 losses, 34 saves, 35 holds and a 5.31 ERA, according to Yonhap. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- How far LG progressed in the postseason. Newsis said the team was eliminated at the threshold of the playoffs (PO), while Sports Chosun said the season ended with three straight losses in the semi-playoff (준플레이오프).
- The spelling of two released pitchers' names. Newsis and Sports Chosun give 진우영 and 오승윤, while Yonhap gives 진우용 and 우승윤.
- LG's plan for an offseason overhaul and player development. Only Sports Chosun reports this, with no details.