“San Francisco signs Jung-Hoo Lee to the fourth-biggest contract of the offseason”
Jim Bowden, formerly of the Washington Nationals and now a columnist for The Athletic, made his predictions for the 2023-2024 offseason on July 7 (ET). In the process, he predicted that Jung-Hoo Lee would sign with the San Francisco Giants.
With the World Series (WS) in the books, Major League Baseball is about to enter the stovepipe, a time when free agent-eligible players are evaluated by teams in the market. This year, there are several players who will be moving from Asia to the United States. Among them, Lee Jung-hoo is the one who has gotten the most attention from Korean fans.
Lee had a career-high season last year, hitting .349 with 23 home runs, 113 RBIs, 85 runs scored, and a .996 OPS in 142 games, winning his first MVP title and taking home five batting titles (batting average, runs scored, RBIs, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage). After the season, he announced that he would be entering the major leagues through the posting system. He joined hands with Scott Boras, now known as the Devil’s Agent, and is ready to challenge the major leagues.
Lee was unable to play a full season this year due to ankle surgery. However, in 86 games, he hit .318 with 105 hits, six home runs, 45 RBIs, 50 runs scored, and a .861 OPS, which has drawn interest from major league teams. The New York Yankees have been labeled as a favorite to sign Lee since the news broke that he would be joining the major leagues.
The San Diego Padres, who have an Asian infielder in Kim Ha-seong, the first Korean to win a National League Gold Glove in the utility category, are also among the favorites to sign Lee. The Padres have proven that they can handle Asian hitters. The San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays, and Cleveland Cavaliers are also expected to join the race to sign Lee.
While there is always talk about the lack of ‘specialty’ players in the Major League Baseball free agency market this year, the current evaluation of Lee Jung-hoo is not bad. This is evidenced by the free agent rankings of local media in the United States. Former Major League Baseball general manager Jim Bowden ranked Lee 37th, but CBS Sports ranked him 15th, FOX Sports ranked him 4th, and Major League Trade Rumors (MLBTR) ranked him 15th. 토토사이트
Lee’s current asking price is not far behind. The Athletic’s Jim Britton estimated that Lee could get four years and $56 million, while MLBTR estimated five years and $50 million. Kim signed a 4+1 year deal with San Diego ahead of the 2021 season worth up to $39 million (KRW 51 billion), with only $28 million (KRW 36.6 billion) in guaranteed money.
This is why Bowden’s