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The competition among Major League Baseball (MLB) clubs to catch Lee Jeong-hoo (25, Kiwoom Heroes), the best hitter in the KBO League, is heating up. Major clubs that have fallen in love with Lee Jeong-hoo's charm are actively taking action.
According to local media, multiple major league clubs are highly evaluating the value of 'prospective big leaguer' Lee Jeong-hoo. The New York Post also reported the intense competition to recruit Lee Jung-hoo, saying that 20 out of 30 clubs are showing interest in him.
The level of interest varies, and it is unlikely that all 20 clubs will bet on Lee Jeong-hoo. There are also clubs that simply show interest. However, it is also clear that the number of clubs actively seeking to recruit players is increasing one by one.
In particular, the teams that are considered candidates to take on Lee Jeong-hoo are all clubs that have recently achieved outstanding results and claim to have a large hand. Small and medium-sized clubs are not even mentioned at all.
With the San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, and San Diego Padres at the forefront, the New York Mets, another big player, also joined the search for Lee Jung-hoo.
These four clubs have large markets in the eastern and western regions and have achieved excellent results. The Yankees, who have won the World Series 27 times, are the most prestigious team in the Major League, and San Francisco is the team with the highest winning percentage at the time, with 107 wins in 2021. San Diego and the Mets have recently invested a huge amount of money to recruit a large number of big players and increase their competitiveness.
The evaluation of Lee Jeong-hoo, who plays well as a hitter and plays stable defense as a center fielder, is also favorable. Another positive aspect is that he is young at 25 years old. For this reason, a club that recruits Lee Jeong-hoo can strengthen its offense and defense at the same time.
It is also good news that the outfield resources that combine offense and defense are not saturated. According to local media reports, San Francisco, Yankees, San Diego, and Mets are all in desperate need of outfielders.
If big clubs compete to recruit players and lead the way, Lee Jeong-hoo's price will naturally rise. Some media outlets predicted that Lee Jung-hoo could sign a $90 million (approximately 117 billion won) contract with a major league club.
So far, five players, including Ryu Hyun-jin, Kang Jeong-ho, Park Byeong-ho, Kim Gwang-hyun, and Kim Ha-seong, have advanced to the major league through the posting system (private competitive bidding) in the KBO League, and it is very likely that Lee Jeong-hoo will surpass his seniors and receive the highest treatment.
On the 24th of last month, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) delivered a request to the Major League Secretariat to proceed with posting about Lee Jeong-hoo at the request of Kiwoom, Lee Jung-hoo's affiliated club. However, Lee Jeong-hoo’s post is still on standby.
Major League Baseball began its winter meetings in Nashville, Tennessee, USA on the 4th. At the Winter Meeting, where 30 clubs and leading agents gather, major events such as major players, free agent (FA) contracts, and trades take place.
The Winter Meetings will conclude with the Rule 5 Draft on the 7th, after which the Major League Baseball Secretariat is expected to notify Lee Jeong-hoo's posting. Lee Jeong-hoo can negotiate with 30 clubs from 8 a.m. the day after notification to 5 p.m. on the 30th day, based on Eastern Time Zone. 19가이드03