They sign KBO star Jong Hoo Lee to a 6-year deal.
A source told Mark Feinsand on Tuesday that the Giants signed KBO star Jung Hoo Lee to a six-year deal, which was their first big move of the summer. This happened the day following Shohei Ohtani officially became a Dodger.
A source says the club is yet to confirm the deal, which is said to be worth $113 million and offer a way out after four years.
We have him out in centre field, but we’ve talked about how useful he can be on defense in right.”
Lee, one of Korea’s best players, was released by the Kiwoom Heroes following seven years in the KBO. This gave him the chance to look for work in Major League Baseball.
The Giants will have to pay the Heroes an additional $18.825 million in posting fees if he stays within San Francisco over the whole deal. This will bring their total cost to almost $132 million.
During his KBO career, the 25-year-old outfielder hit an amazing.340/.407/.491 slash line and never hit less than.318 in any season.
Lee could make an impact on both sides for the ball when he makes it to the MLB. He is also thought to be an above-average center field defense.
Farhan Zaidi, the president of baseball affairs for the Giants, wouldn’t say anything about the rumored deal with Lee on Tuesday, but he did say that the team still wants to improve its defense and speed this summer.
Zaidi told reporters on a Zoom call, “We’ve talked about shortstop along with center field being our two top priorities.” “We have in-house options at both of those places.”
Before he was sent to the Heroes, the Giants did a lot of research on Lee. In October, the team’s president Pete Putila even went to South Korea to see Lee’s last game with the Heroes.
This month, Putila said, “It was a great trip.” “It was great to witness him take those six or seven swings in one at-bat.”
A couple of days before the game, I saw him take fly balls. Just to be there for the game, the energy and joy were through the roof.
In 2022, Lee had his best season at the plate. He hit.349 with 23 home runs, 113 RBIs, and a.996 OPS in 142 games, which earned him KBO MVP awards.
He broke his left ankle in July, which ended his chances of winning a second straight MVP Award. However, the injury shouldn’t stop his from playing in the future.
Lee played within the World Baseball Classic before the 2023 KBO season. Even though Korea didn’t make it out of pool play, Lee, who hit.429/.500/.571 with two doubles and five RBIs, was very good.
The Giants already have Yastrzemski, Mitch Haniger, Michael Conforto, Austin Slater, Luis Matos, as well as Wade Meckler in the center. Lee’s addition will make it even more crowded.
By moving Haniger and Conforto to the designated hitter spot, San Francisco could free up at-bats in the outfield. The team could also deal with the group to give younger players more chances.
ESPN sources say that center fielder Jung Hoo Lee and the San Francisco Giants agreed to a six-year, $113 million deal on Tuesday.
It’s the biggest deal for an Asian-born batter coming to Major League Baseball, and it’s a big deal for a Giants team that has had a lot of problems with free agents lately.
In the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), Lee has been a star for a long time and is treated like royalty. His father, Jong Beom Lee, was thought to be the best all-around player in the KBO in the 1990s.
Lee, who is known as “Grandson of the Wind” because his father was called “Son of the ind,” has a promise worth more than the $90 million the Red Sox of Boston gave Masataka Yoshida last year. After the fourth season, he can choose not to sign the deal.
Lee had a strong bond with the San Diego Padres because his good friend Ha-Seong Kim plays infield for them.
It was thought that the Giants would not be able to get Shohei Ohtani, but after Ohtani signed to the Dodgers this week, they made their chase of Lee even stronger.
But the Giants have either turned down or not tried to sign big free agents for the past two years.