After missing out on two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, the San Francisco Giants wasted little time making another major splash in free agency.
Per MLB Network insider Jon Morosi, the Giants have signed South Korean star outfielder Jung-Hoo Lee to a six-year deal worth $113 million. The 25-year-old has spent his entire professional career with the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO League in South Korea.
The Giants were rumored to be one of the finalists for Ohtani, who wound up signing with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers on a historic 10-year deal worth $700 million. The Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs were also in on Ohtani before he signed with Los Angeles.
Unlike the Cubs and Blue Jays, however, the Giants quickly pivoted to another marquee free agent and now have a potential franchise star in Lee, who won KBO League MVP honors in the 2022 campaign.
Lee had an impressive .340 career batting average in the KBO League with 65 home runs and 515 RBI. He also posted a remarkably low K rate, striking out only 304 times in 3,476 at bats.
The Giants are coming off a second straight losing season, having suffered a late-season collapse that cost them one of the NL’s three wild card spots. Their first big move this offseason was firing manager Gabe Kapler and replacing him with Bob Melvin.
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Now, they have a promising young 25-year-old sensation to build around for years to come.
