SAN FRANCISCO: When the San Francisco Giants set out this offseason to enhance on a disappointing 2023 season, including athleticism, protection and the flexibility to place the ball in play have been priorities.
South Korean star Jung Hoo Lee stuffed all these roles.
“We think this is an absolutely perfect fit,” Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi mentioned Friday at a information convention introducing Lee to the Bay Area.
“As we’ve talked about entering this offseason, our goals were to get more athletic as a team from an offensive standpoint, to make more contact and play the kind of baseball where the industry seems to be trending toward,” Zaidi mentioned. “Honestly, as we looked at our options this offseason, there was no player, no target who was more of a perfect fit for what we were hoping to achieve than Jung Hoo.”
The baseball expertise have been evident from the in depth scouting the Giants did of Lee’s play within the Korean league and solely strengthened together with his play final spring within the World Baseball Classic. That earned Lee him a $113 million, six-year contract.
Lee additionally confirmed off a little bit of his persona throughout his information convention, punctuating a gap assertion he gave in English with an emphatic “Let’s Go Giants” and giving himself the nickname “Grandson of the wind” in homage to his father, Jong Beom Lee, who was referred to as “Son of the wind” for his velocity that the youthful Lee mentioned he gained’t be capable to match.
“It’s an exciting day,” Zaidi mentioned. “Obviously, he’s got a personality that really shines through, even through a translator. I think for us it’s a great baseball fit, but we’re also mindful about creating excitement and energy around the organization. You can definitely feel that today.”
San Francisco has missed the playoffs in every of the previous two seasons after profitable a franchise-record 107 video games and the NL West in 2021.
The Giants had missed out on some big-ticket free brokers the final two offseasons, together with when Shohei Ohtani determined final week to signal with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
They additionally misplaced out to the New York Yankees within the pursuit of slugger Aaron Judge final offseason after which determined to not finalize a $350 million, 13-year settlement with shortstop Carlos Correa after issues arose from his bodily relationship to a 2014 surgical procedure on his proper leg.
The 25-year-old Lee was posted by South Korea’s Kiwoom Heroes on Dec. 4, and if he stays for your complete contract, the Giants would owe the Heroes an $18,825,000 posting payment. San Francisco additionally would owe a further payment of 15% for any earned bonuses or escalators.
San Francisco was so dedicated to Lee that normal supervisor Pete Putila traveled all the best way to Korea simply to see one transient look in October.
“It’s really nice to tell a player an organization’s interest level is where the will fly 30,000 miles to watch really one at-bat,” mentioned Scott Boras, who represents Lee.
Lee batted .318 with six homers and 48 RBIs in 86 video games this yr however broke his left ankle throughout a sport towards the Lotte Giants on July 22 and was sidelined the rest of the season.
Lee mentioned he’s 100% healed from the harm and appears ahead to the problem of enjoying within the majors towards a higher-level of competitors. But he’s assured that he’ll be capable to make the transition and is slated to be the staff’s opening day starter in middle area.
“I’m a little embarrassed to say this, but from opening day on, the fans be impressed with the skill set,” he mentioned via an interpreter.
Last yr, he hit .349 with profession bests of 23 dwelling runs and 113 RBIs in 142 video games, whereas putting out solely 32 occasions. He was voted rookie of the yr in 2017 and MVP in 2022.
Lee additionally batted .429 with two doubles and 5 RBIs for South Korea on this yr’s WBC, the place South Korea didn’t advance from its first-round group.
“What we’ve seen of him in international play is almost as meaningful as what we saw from him in all of his time in the KBO,” Zaidi mentioned.
He hit .241 with three doubles, one homer and three RBIs within the 2021 Olympics, the place South Korea misplaced to the United States within the semifinals after which to the Dominican Republic for the bronze medal.
Lee has a .340 profession common with 65 homers and 515 RBIs for the Heroes, who have been renamed from Nexen to Kiwoon forward of the 2019 season. He is a six-time Golden Glove winner.
His father, Jong Beom, was Korean League MVP in 1994 and performed in Japan for the Central League’s Chunichi Dragons from 1998 to 2001.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com
(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)
