Three Years, Three Seventh Places: Lotte Ends Kim Tae-hyung's Contract

Lotte played its final regular-season game on October 12. The official decision on Kim's future arrived on October 24. The twelve-day gap became a kind of extra innings for anyone following the Giants.

Sports Chosun reported on October 24 that Lotte informed Kim the previous day it would not renew his deal. The club then confirmed that the three-year contract had expired, renewal was off the table and a new-manager search was underway. Senior coach Kang Seok-cheon said he intended to resign if Kim left, but that was an intention at the time of reporting, not confirmation of an accepted resignation.

The question isn't only who will manage Lotte next; it's why the decision took days to announce. With the contract already up, the club had publicly left options open. Korean baseball communities rapidly shared the October 24 report, although private negotiations and the identity of a successor are not verified.

StarNews reported that Kim thanked players and Lotte fans after the October 12 finale. On October 24, Sports Chosun quoted coach Kang explaining he was considering leaving in the wake of Kim's nonrenewal. These are attributable remarks, not a measurement of every fan's reaction.

Three consecutive seventh-place finishes meant no postseason appearance during Kim's tenure. But nonrenewal alone does not establish the internal relationship with management, how players feel or what a new manager will achieve. The verified plan is a separate announcement of Kim's successor.

Kim signed a three-year deal reportedly worth 2.4 billion won before the 2024 season. Lotte finished seventh in each of 2024, 2025 and 2026, winning its final 2026 game against Doosan 7–4 on October 12. The club's October 24 announcement confirmed no new contract. 'Contract expiry and nonrenewal' is more precise than a claim that he resigned mid-contract.

The successor and announcement date have not been officially confirmed. Updates on the next manager and coaching staff should come from the club's announcements rather than unverified rumor lists.