Lotte Giants pitcher Na Won-tak (28), who was expected to be the “next Na Kyun-ahn” after switching from catcher to pitcher, has announced his retirement.
On May 30, Na announced his retirement on his Instagram, saying, “After a meeting with the club, I decided to terminate my contract on May 23 with an arbitrary termination status.”
Born in 1994, Na made his professional 스포츠토토 baseball debut in 2017 when he was selected by the Samsung Lions with the 19th overall pick in the second round of the KBO Rookie Draft. With his excellent delivery and strong shoulders, Na was expected to be a big-time catching prospect. However, after playing for Samsung in the 2017 season, he moved to Lotte in the 2018 season.
In 33 games over three seasons, Na only managed to hit .167 (8-for-48) with one RBI. He switched from catcher to pitcher in 2021. But even after making the switch, Nawantak only appeared in 10 first-team games over three seasons, logging eight and two-thirds innings.
“I changed positions as an outfielder, first baseman, and pitcher to become the player the club needed, but I felt the pain of not getting results and the regret of being a catcher in the back of my mind,” he said, explaining why he chose to retire from active play before feeling more regret.
“I will not forget the fans who have been supporting me,” he said in his final words to the fans.
