Interest in 20 Teams, Yankees or SF? $50 million to $65 million is likely
This means that the official process for Lee Jung-hoo to enter the Major League has begun. However, since it is Thanksgiving time in the United States, the MLB Secretariat will post Lee Jung-hoo against the bulb team in early December. Since the Major League Winter Meeting will be held in Nashville, Tennessee, from December 5-7, a full-fledged search battle will continue between Lee Jung-hoo's agent Scott Boras and clubs interested in recruiting.
KBO recently received a request for an identification check on Lee Jung-hoo from the MLB Secretariat, and received Lee Jung-hoo's medical record from the Kiwoom club and delivered it to the MLB Secretariat. According to the Korea-U.S. player contract agreement, a club that contracts Lee Jung-hoo cannot invalidate the contract even if an injury was found in a medical test to be conducted later. In other words, negotiations will proceed according to the medical records delivered by KBO.
The posting period is 30 days. If the contract is not agreed by early January next year, Lee Jung-hoo will not be able to post until November 1 next year. However, the probability of that happening is close to zero. This is because numerous major league teams are showing interest in Lee Jung-hoo. 에볼루션 바카라사이트
In particular, there is a huge shortage of high-quality top-class fielders in the FA market. Shohei Ohtani, Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman are classified as specials, and Jorge Solaire, JD Martinez, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Teoscar Hernandez, Rhys Hoskins, and Lee Jung-hoo are included in the next grade.
According to Lee Jung-hoo's FA ranking by media, MLB.com ranked 13th overall and 6th overall, ESPN ranked 14th overall and 4th overall (five years $50 million), CBS Sports ranked 15th overall and 6th overall, Major League Trade Rumors (MLBTR) ranked 7th overall (five years and 50 million), and Yahoo Sports ranked 10th overall and 4th overall (annual average of more than $15 million).
Lee Jung-hoo is receiving such positive reviews because of two main attractions. One is contact ability, the other is a young age of 25. Only Ryu Hyun-jin (FA) and Kim Ha-sung (San Diego) have advanced to the Major League at that age. Ryu Hyun-jin, who was born in March 1987, signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012 and Kim Ha-sung, who was born in October 1995, each signed with the San Diego Padres in December 2020 and succeeded in entering the big league.
The numbers tell Lee Jung-hoo's contact ability, who is the No. 1 player in KBO history with a career batting average of 0.340 and more than 2,000 at-bats. It boasts the highest number in KBO history in terms of the strikeout rate, that is, the probability of being struck out when entering the batter's box. He entered a career-high 3947 at-bats and struck out 304 times. The strikeout rate is 7.7%. In 2022, when he was named MVP, the strikeout rate was 5.1%, and this season it was 5.9%. Luis Arraez (Miami), who is called the best contact heater in the Major League, has a total strikeout rate of 7.6% and 5.5% this season.
On top of that, the outfield defense is evaluated as above average in the Major League Baseball as well. He is in the spotlight as a so-called "all-around player" with his ability to guess, wide defense, strong shoulders, and fast feet.
New York Post reporter John Hayman said in an article that "The Yankees outfield is full of questions and competition," "The New York Yankees are not only looking into Juan Soto (San Diego) but also Lee Jung-hoo, who is only 25 years old and is receiving attention from 20 teams."
It is not known on what basis the number of 20 teams was mentioned, but it is clear that almost all teams seeking the postseason, including the San Francisco Giants, San Diego, Toronto Blue Jays, and Seattle Mariners, as well as the Yankees, are expected to jump into the recruitment of Lee Jung-hoo.
In particular, MLBTR said, "Yamamoto Yoshinobu and Lee Jung-hoo are 25 years old, and there are similarities in demand." In theory, both players have had several prime seasons, and they have not reached their career peak yet,' he said.
Lee Jung-hoo's expected contract size is expected to be more than $10 million a year on average and more than $50 million in total. Among Boras' customers in the FA market, big fielders such as Bellinger, Martinez, Hoskins, and Chapman stand out. On top of that, Lee Jung-hoo is also proudly listed.
