December 13, 2023

Giant Lee

The Giants picked up a great, young Korean hitter via posting, Jung Hoo Lee. In a way, he is the Aaron Boone of Korean baseball:

Lee is a longtime star in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), regarded as royalty with father, Jong Beom Lee, regarded as the best all-around player in the KBO in the 1990s. Nicknamed “Grandson of the Wind” — his father was called “Son of the Wind” — Lee’s guarantee exceeds the $90 million the Boston Red Sox gave Masataka Yoshida last year and includes an opt-out after the fourth season.

ESPN.com

His $113 million, six-year contract means the Giants see him as a two-WAR a year player. Although he already played seven seasons in the Korean League, he is just entering his prime as 2024 will be his age 25 season. So the Giants get all of his prime years.

He hit .340/.407/.491 during those seven years in 3947 plate appearances. He is a doubles/triples hitter, with 244 doubles, 43 triples, and 65 home runs. I suspect he will slot in very nicely at the top of the order. Off the top of my head, I would put him at .280/.350/.450 in the majors. FanGraphs projections have him at .291/.353/.430.

This looks like a great move for San Francisco.

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