The Athletic in the U.S. mentioned Lee Jung-hoo's name in an article titled "12 Players Deserving of the Toronto Blue Jays roster" on the 10th (Korea Standard Time).
Lee Jung-hoo will be posted to the Major League after the Korean Series (KS) schedule is over. Lee Jung-hoo declared his entry into the big league after winning the MVP title in the regular season last year with five batting wins. And he finished all preparations by joining hands with Scott Boras, the "Devil's Agent," who led contracts that would go down in Major League history several times.
As the World Series (WS) schedule is over, the U.S., which has entered the stove league, has selected the rankings of players who qualify as free agents and are pouring out articles pointing to expected destinations and ransom. Therefore, the name of Lee Jung-hoo, who is about to enter the big league through the posting system, is also steadily going up and down. For now, Major League Baseball clubs' interest in Lee Jung-hoo seems to be very hot.
Lee Jung-hoo's agent, Scott Boras, said in an interview with reporters at a recent meeting of 30 major league teams in Scottsdale, Arizona, that "nearly half of the major leagues have been inquiring about Lee Jung-hoo," adding, "Lee Jung-hoo has excellent batting skills and defense, and he can grow further in the future." I think Lee Jung-hoo will bring K-pop to the Major League," he said.
Currently, there are two major teams that are considered to be likely destinations for Lee Jung-hoo. The club that is openly interested in is the San Francisco Giants. While Lee Jung-hoo has been absent since undergoing ankle surgery this year, San Francisco's general manager Pete Putilla visited Gocheok Sky Dome and watched Lee Jung-hoo's training. And when Lee Jung-hoo played a farewell match with Kiwoom Heroes fans, he stood up and applauded.
Jim Bowden, who served as the general manager of Washington National League in the past and is currently a columnist at The Athletic, recently predicted that Lee Jung-hoo will wear a San Francisco uniform. And the Major League's official website "MLB.com " voted on 58 players' expected destinations, which also resulted in Lee Jung-hoo heading to San Francisco.
The Yankees are never behind San Francisco. Currently, the Yankees are aiming to recruit two outfielders and a pitcher in this stove league. The Yankees are the first team to be mentioned when the news of Lee Jung-hoo's entry into the Major League was heard, and they are still considered the most likely candidate to recruit Lee Jung-hoo along with San Francisco.
Here, "The Athletic" had time to point out Toronto and Lee Jung-hoo. "Toronto will focus on recruiting players from the side where there is a hole to fill the lineup," the media said. "General manager Ross Atkins recently said, "The club is considering adding one to four fielders this winter." Toronto seems to be looking for third baseman, corner outfielder and designated hitter first.
Currently, Toronto will enter the market with infielders Wit Merrifield and Matt Chapman, outfielder Kevin Kiermaier, pitchers Ryu Hyun-jin and Jordan Hicks qualifying as FA. At the current rate, at least three fielders are leaving the team. If this gap is not filled in this stove league, it may not be easy to compete for the postseason in the 2024 season.
The Athletic included Lee Jung-hoo, mentioning 12 players Toronto could recruit. If he signs a contract with Toronto, the amount of the contract is expected to be 56 million dollars for four years. The media said, "It's a bit of a mystery because it's hard to know what players from other international leagues will perform. However, Lee Jung-hoo praised him as a player more than a competent center fielder, a player who does not have much power, but has high-quality contact skills, and has few strikeouts.
"The Athletic" then said, "Lee Jung-hoo was the KBO League MVP in the 2022 season, but this year he ended the season early due to injury. Toronto, which spent four seasons with Ryu Hyun-jin, has built a strong Korean fan base, and if it recruits the best young batter, it can break that bond," he said, pointing out that Toronto could jump into Lee Jung-hoo's recruitment.
For now, Lee Jung-hoo's ransom, which is expected by local media in the U.S., is much higher than the four-year $28 million (about 36.9 billion won) when Kim Ha-sung (San Diego Padres) entered the Major League. "The Athletic forecasts $56 million for four years, "Major League Trade Rumours" (MLBTR) for five years, $50 million (about 66 billion won), "CBS Sports" predicts Lee Jung-hoo to be up to $90 million (about 118.8 billion won) for six years, including San Francisco and Optout, and "ESPN" to be $63 million (about 83.1 billion won).
Lee Jung-hoo, the current hot potato, will begin three weeks of open training for major league teams at the Boras Corporation Performance Center in Orange County, California, after the Korean Series schedule is over.