Dreams Come True for Kiwoom’s Lee Jung-hoo: Signs Contract With MLB SF Worth $113 Million

inews24 2023.12.14 Views

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Kiwoom Heroes outfielder Lee Jung-hoo is set to put on the Major League Baseball (MLB) San Francisco Giants uniform. U.S. media outlets, including “The Athletic” and “New York Post,” reported on the 13th (Korean time) that “Lee Jung-hoo has agreed to join the San Francisco Giants through a posting (private competitive bidding) process.”

According to reports from the U.S., Lee Jung-hoo has agreed to a six-year contract with the San Francisco Giants for a total of $113 million (approximately 148.4 billion won). Neither the San Francisco Giants nor Lee Jung-hoo’s representatives have yet released an official statement regarding the contract.

It was also reported that the contract includes an opt-out clause after four years. If the contract is finalized as reported, Lee Jung-hoo will set the record for the highest amount ever in the posting history of Korean players.

On the afternoon of the 5th, at the 2023 KBO League NC vs. Kiwoom game held at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Lee Jung-hoo scores a run on Kim Woong-bin’s two-run RBI hit in the bottom of the 4th inning with no outs and runners on second and third base, and heads to the dugout. [Photo by Reporter Jeong So-hee]

The first case of a KBO League player moving to the MLB through a posting process was Ryu Hyun-jin (pitcher). Ryu Hyun-jin joined the LA Dodgers through a posting after the end of the 2012 season.

At that time, he signed a contract for $36 million over six years. Among hitters, Kim Ha-Seong, who shared the Heroes uniform with Lee Jung-hoo, signed a four-year contract with the San Diego Padres for $28 million in 2021.

If Lee Jung-hoo’s contract is officially announced under the reported conditions, he will surpass both Ryu Hyun-jin and Kim Ha-seong in both total amount and average annual salary.