Jang Won-joon

BUSAN, South Korea - Yes, it is hard to believe, but it is almost baseball season again. And if the Lotte Giants hope to contend in 2012, they are going to have to deal with the likes of last year's champions, the Samsung Lions, the much improved Hanwha Eagles and their familiar foes, the SK Wyverns. Lotte has had a busy offseason, most notably with the loss of slugger Lee Dae-ho to the Orix Buffaloes of the Nippon Professional Baseball League, but they have been making moves on what has been considered their weakness for the past few years – the pitching staff.