Jung Hoo Lee, Giants agree to six-year, $113M contract – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

The Giants have reportedly made their first appearance of the MLB season.

Korean outfielder Jung Ho Lee has agreed to a six-year, $113 million free-agent contract with an opt-out after year four, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Tuesday.

As The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly points out, Lee’s $113 million contract does not include the roughly $19 million posting fee that San Francisco will pay to Lee’s former team, the Kiwoom Heroes. Lee was officially deployed on December 4, opening his 30-day window to sign with an MLB team.

The 25-year-old outfielder won the KBO MVP award in 2022 with the Kiwoom Heroes after hitting .349/.421/.575 with 23 home runs, 113 RBI and a .996 OPS. Lee hit .318/.406/.455 with six homers and 45 RBI in 86 games in 2023 before an ankle injury ended his season in July.

Lee, nicknamed “The Grandson of the Wind,” is a former shortstop who moved to center field in 2017 and has won five straight Gold Glove Awards. He is the son of Jung Beom Lee, the legendary footballer who played a combined 20 seasons in the KBO and NPB in Japan.

The 25-year-old is an elite defender with exceptional striking skills. Lee has struck out just 32 times in 553 at-bats in 2022 and could help solve a big problem for the Giants at the plate. The level of play in the KBO is believed to be equivalent to somewhere between Double- and Triple-A in the United States, where the average fastball speed is around 88 mph compared to 93 mph in MLB, meaning there may be an adjustment period Primary for young people. Left-handed.

Lee was one of the Giants’ top targets this season and was scouted by the organization several times before his season-ending injury. He is considered the Giants’ everyday center fielder and could be a top cornerback for years to come.

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