<p>As expected, the off-season has started to heat up now that Shohei Ohtani has signed.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The San Francisco Giants, who were <a href="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/2023/12/05/report-blue-jays-dodgers-giants-and-angels-the-finalists-for-shohei-ohtani/">among the reported finalists</a> during the two-way superstar&#8217;s free-agent negotiations, pivoted and signed outfielder Jung Hoo Lee to a six-year, $113 million contract.</p>
<p>A native of Japan, Lee has become a big name in the Korea Baseball Organization over the past few years playing for the Kiwoom Heroes. The 25-year-old has slashed a .318/.406/.455 line over 387 plate appearances during an injury-riddled season in 2023. He ultimately posted a .340 batting average and .898 OPS across seven seasons in the league.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;Jung Hoo Lee changes the look of this lineup&#8230; they&#39;ve needed that starpower.&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/jonmorosi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jonmorosi</a> details San Francisco&#39;s reported 6-year deal with the KBO star. <a href="https://t.co/dBeuvte6nx">pic.twitter.com/dBeuvte6nx</a></p>
<p>&mdash; MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork/status/1734944864310055115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><a href="https://x.com/BNightengale/status/1734724054916206823?s=20">According to Bob Nightengale</a>, the Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, and San Diego Padres &#8220;all had expressed strong interest&#8221; in Lee before he signed with the Giants. Given Toronto&#8217;s need for a left-handed hitting outfielder, that doesn&#8217;t come as a surprise, though it&#8217;s difficult to say if they were willing to get anywhere close to the $113 million that Lee wound up getting.</p>
<h2>L.A. Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays nearing trade</h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Despite dishing out a $700 million contract over the weekend, the Los Angeles Dodgers seem far from finished. Ohtani&#8217;s contract pays him only $2 million with $68 million deferred per year, so the team still has plenty of money to work with.</p>
<p>According to Ken Rosenthal, the Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays are working on a trade that would send pitcher Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot to Los Angeles.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Dodgers are discussing a trade in which they would get RHP Tyler Glasnow and OF Manuel Margot from the Rays for RHP Ryan Pepiot and OF Jonny Deluca, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a>. Deal not complete. Changes possible. Financial exchange likely. On it: <a href="https://twitter.com/Bnicklaus7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bnicklaus7</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/AzoulayHaron?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AzoulayHaron</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1734940694471725502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Glasnow and Margot are both eligible to become free agents after the 2024 season and they&#8217;re set to be paid $25 million and $12 million respectively, so it was inevitable the thrifty Rays would move both players this off-season. Tampa acquired Glasnow in a trade for Chris Archer and Margot in a trade for Emilio Pagan, and now both are being moved in a deal that makes the Rays cheaper and younger.</p>
<hr />
<h2 class="mb-5 text-2xl font-bold" style="text-align: center;"><a class="text-accent" href="https://gml-grp.com/C.ashx?btag=a_24038b_2065c_&amp;affid=7966&amp;siteid=24038&amp;adid=2065&amp;c=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">ARTICLE PRESENTED BY BETANO</a></h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-61491" src="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/04/Betano_ON_Base_727x404-1.png" alt="" width="727" height="404" srcset="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/04/Betano_ON_Base_727x404-1.png 727w, https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/04/Betano_ON_Base_727x404-1-300x167.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 727px) 100vw, 727px" /></p>

As expected, the off-season has started to heat up now that Shohei Ohtani has signed.



The San Francisco Giants, who were <a href="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/2023/12/05/report-blue-jays-dodgers-giants-and-angels-the-finalists-for-shohei-ohtani/">among the reported finalists</a> during the two-way superstar's free-agent negotiations, pivoted and signed outfielder Jung Hoo Lee to a six-year, $113 million contract.

A native of Japan, Lee has become a big name in the Korea Baseball Organization over the past few years playing for the Kiwoom Heroes. The 25-year-old has slashed a .318/.406/.455 line over 387 plate appearances during an injury-riddled season in 2023. He ultimately posted a .340 batting average and .898 OPS across seven seasons in the league.

https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork/status/1734944864310055115

<a href="https://x.com/BNightengale/status/1734724054916206823?s=20">According to Bob Nightengale</a>, the Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, and San Diego Padres "all had expressed strong interest" in Lee before he signed with the Giants. Given Toronto's need for a left-handed hitting outfielder, that doesn't come as a surprise, though it's difficult to say if they were willing to get anywhere close to the $113 million that Lee wound up getting.
<h2>L.A. Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays nearing trade</h2>
&nbsp;

Despite dishing out a $700 million contract over the weekend, the Los Angeles Dodgers seem far from finished. Ohtani's contract pays him only $2 million with $68 million deferred per year, so the team still has plenty of money to work with.

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays are working on a trade that would send pitcher Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot to Los Angeles.

https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1734940694471725502

Glasnow and Margot are both eligible to become free agents after the 2024 season and they're set to be paid $25 million and $12 million respectively, so it was inevitable the thrifty Rays would move both players this off-season. Tampa acquired Glasnow in a trade for Chris Archer and Margot in a trade for Emilio Pagan, and now both are being moved in a deal that makes the Rays cheaper and younger.

<hr />

<h2 class="mb-5 text-2xl font-bold" style="text-align: center;"><a class="text-accent" href="https://gml-grp.com/C.ashx?btag=a_24038b_2065c_&amp;affid=7966&amp;siteid=24038&amp;adid=2065&amp;c=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">ARTICLE PRESENTED BY BETANO</a></h2>
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-61491" src="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/04/Betano_ON_Base_727x404-1.png" alt="" width="727" height="404" />

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