MLB.com selects Lee Jung-hoo among top nine free agents

MLB.com announced the top nine free agents for this season on Wednesday including Shohei Ohtani and Lee Jung-hoo, commenting that he, as an outstanding contact hitter, will be able to make a good start in the MLB. Sports Illustrated also ranked Lee as the third promising outfielder free agent, adding that he shows high on-base percentage figures despite his limited power production. It explained that he is the youngest top outfielder currently posted on the FA market. Likewise, Fox Sports selected Lee as the fourth FA hitter on the market, assessing him as a way more potential all-around star than San Diego Padres' second baseman Kim Ha-seong, who also played in the Kiwoom Heroes.

Kim Ha-seong moved to the MLB in a deal to give him 30 million U.S. dollars for four years, including a transfer fee of 5 million dollars in December 2020. The Athletic expected that Lee would earn 56 million dollars for four years, saying that Lee would make a larger money than any other outfielder does this winter except Cody Bellinger, who was awarded the National League Rookie of the Year in 2017 and won the league’s MVP in 2019.

Lee’s most likely destination is the San Francisco Giants. The team has shown an interest in him with its general manager Pete Putila having visited Gocheok Sky Dome, the home ballpark of Kiwoom Heroes on Oct. 7. In a survey of 58 MLB.com experts on where the top FAs will join, the majority answered that Lee will end up in the Giants with the Seattle Mariners and San Diego also discussed.


leper@donga.com