There’s an exciting crop of pitchers coming overseas from Japan this winter, so this outfielder has sort of flown under the radar.
This is a free agent profile, where we take a look at the players on the open market this winter and whether or not they would be fits for the Blue Jays. In this article, we’re going to take a look at Jung Hoo Lee, who’s expected to be posted for Major League clubs in early December.
Jung Hoo Lee Likely To Be Posted In Early December https://t.co/29KMeEizZO pic.twitter.com/2RNojHMufk
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) November 24, 2023
Jung Hoo Lee’s 2023:
The 25-year-old outfielder spent the 2023 season with the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization and slashed .318/.406/.455 with six homers in 387 plate appearances. Lee also walked significantly more (12.7 BB%) than he struck out (5.9 K%) and stole six bases on nine attempts.
His best season came in 2022, when he slashed .349/.421/.575 with a career-high 23 homers in 627 plate appearances. He walked 66 times for a 10.5 BB% and only struck out 32 times for a 5.1 BB%. For his entire KBO career, Lee slashed .340/.407/.491 with 65 home runs in 3947 plate appearances. Much like his past two seasons, Lee has walked more (11 BB%) than he’s struck out (7.7 K%).
Hopefully not a goodbye, but a see you later.
Today, Lee Jung-hoo will pinch hit and play an inning of defense as he returns from injury and says his farewell to the Heroes fans as Lee will play in his last home match before heading to the MLB.
End Of An Era. #이정후 pic.twitter.com/XgoLScR9V8
— KBO in English (@KBO_ENG) October 10, 2023
Jung Hoo Lee’s contract:
According to Jim Bowden’s contract predictions article in The Athletic, Lee ranks as the 37th-best free agent available this off-season. He notes that he’s a plus centre field defender with a strong arm and good range. However, Bowden does not predict a contract for Lee.
“Major-league scouts are split on Jung-hoo Lee’s hit tool: Some believe he’ll hit right out of the gate; others think he’ll have more of a learning curve and could take a year or two to adjust to MLB pitching. Some believe he’ll be a .270 type hitter; others envision a .300 hitter. The best part of Lee’s hit tool is his contact rate and ability to draw walks. (He had more walks than strikeouts over seven seasons in the KBO.) He’s a plus center fielder with plus range and a strong arm. He gets good jumps on balls and takes good routes. He’s an above-average runner with long strides but is not a base-stealing threat. He doesn’t have a lot of power. He fractured his ankle in July and missed the rest of the season, apart from one at-bat in his farewell to Heroes fans.”
MLB Trade Rumors, on the other hand, predicts that Lee will make $50 million over five seasons, which is an annual salary of $10 million. Despite Lee ranking as MLB Trade Rumours’ 15th-best free agent available, they aren’t sure if he’ll be a regular, and a scout even told them that he probably won’t stick in centre field.
Is Jung Hoo Lee a fit for the Blue Jays:
Both Bowden and MLB Trade Rumors believe that Lee is a fit for the Blue Jays, as the team needs another left-handed hitter and another outfielder. The question is, can the Blue Jays do better this winter?
In an ideal world, the Blue Jays sign Cody Bellinger to play the outfield or trade for Juan Soto to do so. If that doesn’t happen, Lee is certainly a fine backup option because his contract likely won’t cost them too much and they can subsequently spend more money on other positions.
As always, you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Threads @Brennan_L_D.
