A week after the announcement of Jung-Hoo Lee’s signing with the San Francisco Giants, Major League Baseball is suffering from “Jung-Hoo sickness.
Lee has been popping up on MLB’s official social media accounts. On April 20, MLB’s official account posted an image and post announcing that the start of the 2024 season is 100 days away. The image featured a group of Major League Baseball superstars, including Lee.
Lee was among the six representatives, along with Christian Yelich (Milwaukee Brewers), Jose Ramirez (Cleveland Cavaliers), Julio Rodriguez (Seattle Mariners), Trey Turner (Philadelphia Phillies), and Masataka Yoshida (Boston Red Sox). Even though Lee never played for San Francisco, a photo of his jersey was composited to make it look like he played for the Giants.
Later, they even posted images of Lee as a model, wearing San Francisco’s away and alternative jerseys. The MLB’s official account kindly introduced, “Here’s how Lee Jung-hoo looked in the away jersey and the alternative jersey.
MLB’s official account is ‘suffering from Lee Jung-hoo’ On the 19th, they also introduced Lee’s dog, Cao. 안전놀이터 On the 18th, he visited the Chase Center, home of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, and introduced his appearance on a live broadcast. On the 15th, the news of Lee’s contract was announced separately from San Francisco’s official account.
Lee has been a fixture in the KBO for seven seasons, batting .344 (3476-for-1181) with 65 home runs, 515 RBIs, and an OPS of .898 in 884 games. His career peaked in 2022, when he won the regular season MVP award.
On July 13, Lee signed a six-year, $113 million contract with the San Francisco Giants.
The deal exceeded all expectations. With an average salary of $18.83 million, he becomes the highest-paid player in the franchise and its star. He will earn $7 million in 2024, followed by $16 million in 2025 and $22 million in 2026 and 2027. His 2028-2029 salary is set at $20.5 million. It also includes a $5 million signing bonus.
The contract also includes an opt-out clause in 2027, the end of the fourth year, and an annual donation to the San Francisco community. The Giants will donate $60,000 to the Giants Community Fund in 2024, $80,000 in 2025, $110,000 in 2026 and 2027, and $125,000 in 2028 and 2029, according to the team’s announcement.
Wearing a Giants jersey with “J H LEE” on the back and number 51, Lee said, “Hello, Giants. My name is Lee Jung-hoo. I’m the grandson of the wind from Korea. I am especially grateful to the Johnson family of San Francisco for signing me, CEO Larry Bear, President Zaidi, and agent Scott Boras. I also want to thank my mom and dad.” “Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of playing in the major leagues. I’ve always loved the Bay Area, and I’m here to win. I will do my best for my teammates and the fans. Retsugo Giants,” he said in English, drawing a lot of attention.
The KBO requested the post from the MLB office on March 24, and on March 5, the MLB office notified all 30 major league clubs of the post. From the sixth of this month, Lee was free to negotiate with all MLB clubs, and he signed a big contract sooner than expected and beyond expectations.
Initially, Lee’s price tag was said to be in the $50 million range, but more recently, it was reported that the Japanese outfielder could sign a five-year, $90 million deal similar to that of Masataka Yoshida (Boston Red Sox), who broke into the major leagues last winter.
His agent, Scott Boras, likened Lee to Yoshida and emphasized that he could be a similar player.
The Athletic reported, “Some insiders say they wouldn’t be surprised to see Lee sign a contract close to Yoshida’s, as Boras, Lee’s agent, said. Lee, who is five years younger than Yoshida, is a faster runner and a stronger defender.”
Lee’s skyrocketing price tag exceeded Yoshida’s, and the Giants gave Lee a six-year, $113 million deal with an opt-out.
The six-year, $113 million deal is the largest contract ever for a Korean player to reach the major leagues from the KBO. In 2013, Ryu Hyun-jin signed a six-year, $36 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and in 2021, Kim Ha-seong signed a 4+1 year, $35 million deal with San Diego. It is also the second $100 million contract ever signed by a Korean major leaguer, following Choo Shin-soo’s seven-year, $130 million deal with the Texas Rangers in 2013.
Lee returned to Korea via Incheon International Airport on Nov. 19. “San Francisco’s offer was the first one. The first time I heard it, my legs loosened. I can’t disclose the details of the negotiations, but I’m honored to be able to go to a prestigious club like San Francisco. The club has invested in me, so I have to repay them by playing up to their expectations. “I have mixed feelings about the early signing,” he said, “but what I remember most is what my agent told me, rather than the expectation of a large sum of money. At first, I was overwhelmed by the offer, but he told me not to feel pressured because it was a reward for playing baseball since I was a kid. I’m more excited than worried,” he said.
He also said, “It doesn’t feel real that I signed this contract, and I still feel like I went to the United States to train. As it becomes more and more real, I think I should set a goal from then on.” He also said, “I think that by getting a contract like this, 토토사이트 추천 my friends and juniors who are similar to me can grow their dreams. There are many players who are more talented and outstanding than me, so I want to tell them that they should work harder and not settle for the present. If you work hard, opportunities will come. I want them to have big goals.”
He continued, “For me, (Kim) Ha-seong has been doing so well since last year. I can’t ruin what he’s done so well. I want to do my best and make the perception of Korean baseball players better, so many players can challenge themselves. I will take responsibility and work hard.”
A week after news of his signing with San Francisco broke, and five days after he officially signed his contract, Major League Baseball was mesmerized.
