According to local media such as The Athletic and USA Today on the 4th (Korea time), the Mets are carefully monitoring Lee Jung-hoo to strengthen their outfield defense.
This is the first time that the Mets have been mentioned as a candidate for Lee Jung-hoo's destination. Previously, major league teams mentioned in local media included the San Francisco Giants, the New York Yankees, and the San Diego Padres.
The Mets currently do not lack outfield resources such as Jeff McNeil, Brandon Nemo, Starling Marte, and DJ Stewart. Among them, McNeil, Nemo, and Marte have signed long-term contracts, so it seems difficult for Lee Jung-hoo to squeeze in.
The Athletic, however, said the Mets are seeking to recruit a new outfielder to improve their defense.
In the OAA, which measures how many outings a defender adds, the Mets' center fielder in the 2023 season was -8, the lowest in the National League.
The Athletic said, "Metz finds an outfielder who can contribute aggressively while playing good defense and has experience playing center field." He also mentioned Lee Jung-hoo and Michael Taylor as the Mets' new outfield candidates.
Lee Jung-hoo is a center fielder who defends as well as attacks. MLB.COM said Lee Jung-hoo is considered a "plus defensive player" as a center fielder.
Lee Jung-hoo, who entered the professional league in 2017, played in a total of 884 games in the KBO League, recording a batting average of 0.340, 1,181 hits, 65 home runs, 515 RBIs, and 581 on-base percentage with a 0.407 slugging percentage.
After seven seasons, he qualified for overseas expansion through a posting system (closed competitive bidding). Kiwoom also delivered Lee Jung-hoo's intention to apply for posting to the Major League Baseball secretariat through the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on the 24th of last month.