With Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) player Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s posting application to the Major League Baseball (MLB) open to all clubs on Nov. 21 (KST), KBO’s top hitter Lee Jung-hoo is expected to enter the posting process later this month or early next month.
As for Yamamoto, more than half of the 30 clubs are expected to bid on him, according to local media. MLB.com lists 12 teams, including the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Detroit Tigers.
With that kind of demand, Yamamoto’s price tag at the negotiating table is likely to be a ransom. That’s why a deal totaling more than $200 million is expected, with ESPN projecting Yamamoto’s contract at seven years and $212 million, Major League Baseball Traders (MLBTR) at nine years and $225 million, and The Athletic at seven years and $211 million.
So how many teams are interested at this point? There are reports that there are five to six teams that are interested in Lee’s strengths, including his reliable outfield defense, sophisticated left-handed bat, and quick feet.
In an article titled “Yankees and Giants are in the running for Lee,” Major League Baseball Trade Reporters (MLBTR) listed six teams, including the Yankees, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Washington Nationals, and Kansas City Royals.
The fact that the Yankees and San Francisco, representing the East and West Coast, are the most likely destinations speaks volumes about the value of the deal and the level of local appreciation. 토토사이트
MLB Network reporter John Paul Morosi said, “The Yankees and Giants are likely to be in talks if Lee hits the market. Both teams have sent scouts to the KBO to watch Lee, and he fits well into the positions they’ve targeted for additions this winter,” according to MLB Network’s John Paul Morosi.
In other words, the Yankees and San Francisco are looking for a left-handed hitting outfielder with a sophisticated bat.
According to MLBTR, “Yankees general manager Brian Cashman recently attended the Major League Baseball general managers’ meetings and said he was looking for two outfielders, preferably both left-handed hitters,” and “San Francisco president Farhan Zaidi said adding athleticism to the outfield is a priority this offseason.