SEOUL, After playing the hero for the Kiwoom Heroes for seven seasons in his native South Korea, outfielder Lee Jung-hoo is going to be a Giant in San Francisco.
Lee was officially introduced as the newest member of the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Friday (local time). His first press conference came one day after the Giants announced their six-year, $113 million contract with the 25-year-old outfielder. It’s the largest contract awarded to a Korean player moving from the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) to Major League Baseball (MLB) via posting, dwarfing a six-year, $36 million contract that pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012.
“I am here to win and will always do my best for teammates and fans. Let’s go Giants!” Lee said, reading from a prepared statement in English.
Later asked what drew him to the Giants, Lee said, “This is a historic organization with so many legends in the Hall of Fame. They’ve won a lot of championships in recent years. I am honored to have a chance to play for a team with such a rich history.”
Lee has been one of the top players in the KBO since capturing the league’s Rookie of the Year award in 2017. The two-time batting champion owns a lifetime .340 batting average, the highest mark among all KBO players with at least 3,000 plate appearances. He was voted the most valuable player (MVP) in the 2022 regular season after leading the KBO in batting average, RBIs, hits, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
Lee is the son of KBO legend Lee Jong-beom, the 1994 MVP who is widely considered one of the most complete players in league history.
The scoreboard at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, shows the club’s new South Korean outfielder Lee Jung-hoo on Dec. 15, 2023.
The Giants will count on Lee to address their need for a competent center fielder who can contribute on both ends. They had 11 different players appear in center field in 2023 and collectively, they were among the worst in MLB in key offensive categories and defensive metrics.
Farhan Zaidi, the president of baseball operations for the Giants also attending the presser, said the plan was to have Lee “play Opening Day and every day in center field.”
“Our goals were to get more athletic as a team from an offensive standpoint, to make more contact, to play the kind of baseball where the industry seems to be trending toward,” Zaidi said. “Honestly, as we looked at our options this offseason, there was no target who was more of a perfect fit for what we were hoping to achieve than Jung-hoo.”
Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants speaks during his introductory press conference at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Dec. 15, 2023, in this photo captured from the Giants’ X page. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)
Lee has long been known for his bat-to-ball skills and plate discipline. Lee has drawn 383 walks and struck out just 304 times across 3,947 plate appearances in 884 games, and has a career on-base percentage of .407.
He played all three outfield positions in his KBO career but was the Heroes’ primary center fielder from 2021 to 2023. Though he is not a burner like his father was — the senior Lee swiped 84 bags in 1994 and that total remains the KBO single season record — the son has displayed good athleticism and instincts on the field.
Pressed for any statistical goals for 2024, Lee said making adjustments to new surroundings as quickly as possible was his top priority.
“I will do my best each and every day,” he said. “The most important thing is for the team to win.”
Lee will earn $7 million in 2024, $16 million in 2025, $22 million in 2026, $22 million in 2027, $20.5 million in 2028 and $20.5 million in 2029. He can opt out of the deal after the 2027 season and become a free agent at age 29.
He will also receive a $5 million signing bonus. He has agreed to make a charitable contribution to the Giants Community Fund, with donations of $60,000 in 2024, $80,000 in 2025, $110,000 in 2026 and 2027, and $102,500 in 2028 and 2029.
Lee will wear the same No. 51 that he had in the KBO.
Source: Yonhap News Agency