Let's also talk about Jung Hoo Lee

[Benjamin Grimm]

MLB.com wrote: Lee posted a .340 average and a .407 on-base percentage over seven seasons in the KBO. He is considered a plus defensive player in center field. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Sunday that the Mets have "strong interest" in Lee, who will be posted for MLB clubs on Monday. That means he can begin negotiating with clubs on Tuesday morning.

[Edgy MD]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=lee---009junThis KBO superstar outfielder is only 25 and has just now been posted by Kiwoom. He's been around since he was 18, has hit over .300 every season, for a career figure of .340. His power appears to be only modest, but he rarely strikes out.



Value added is that KBO players don't have to adapt to wearing advertising on their uniforms. Baseball goes full NASCAR over there.



[FIMG=600]https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/t_16x9/t_w1024/mlb/cfa5jiyrzviiyrduj8fp[/FIMG]

[metirish]

I like him, although I think as an outfield we haven't been hitting a lot of home runs

[A Boy Named Seo]

At 32, we already pretty much know exactly what Michael A. Taylor is. Lee at least has the chance to be more than that and at worst, is below league average like Taylor? In a cruel and boring where where these are my two options, I guess I'm #TeamLee, but I can't say I'm wildly thrilled about it.



I like Ha-Seong Kim a lot and his career OPS in America has been about .150 points lighter than it was in Korea, but he's still an elite defender so maybe Lee would work fine as an extra outfielder, defensive sub, pinch-hitter with a great eye.

[MFS62]

A Boy Named Seo wrote: so maybe Lee would work fine as an extra outfielder, defensive sub, pinch-hitter with a great eye.

Or, his OBP and contact skills will translate and he will be another Ichiro. Who knows?

Later

[Lefty Specialist]

Korean hitters generally don't translate well to MLB.

[A Boy Named Seo]

A Boy Named Seo wrote: so maybe Lee would work fine as an extra outfielder, defensive sub, pinch-hitter with a great eye. Or, his OBP and contact skills will translate and he will be another Ichiro. Who knows? Later

I would love the next Ichiro, but I think it's safe to say Japan is a better league than Korea and Ichiro was already a very polished star when he arrived.

[metsmarathon]

could be more of a steven kwan type player, in that he has great hit tool, not much power, and plus defense. that ain't a bad thing.

[Frayed Knot]

More generally, if the Mets are kicking the tires on this guy and on Michael A. Taylor, it's starting to smell like they're looking to shift Nimmo over to LF.

If it's M.A.T. then I'd expect him to be the 4th OF/late inning PR/defensive replacement type.

But if they latch onto J.H.L. then maybe moving Brandon happens full-time and as soon as this season.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

With Nimmo in LF, McNeil could be looking for a place to play.



I wonder how McNeil figures in the plans

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think McNeil is the most tradeable Met. By that I mean he best fits the balance between someone the Mets might be willing to deal but who would also be appealing to other teams.

[Edgy MD]

Lefty Specialist wrote: Korean hitters generally don't translate well to MLB.

(Dae-Sung Koo clears his throat.)

[DocTee]

[bLOCKQUOTE]could be more of a steven kwan type player[/bLOCKQUOTE]

While Kwan may be of Korean descent, he's as American as apple pie: born in California and drafted out of Oregon State.

[metsmarathon]

i wasn't looking for a KBO translation, but more of a comparable skillset. it just so happened that the first guy who came to mind was kwan. basically, elite hit tool, not much power, great d.

[A Boy Named Seo]

6 years, $113M to the Giants. Dayummmmm

[nymr83]

More than I would have given him, even if it's Steve's money.



There have been enough successful players from the Japanese leagues that they can be properly evaluated even if not to the same degree of certainty as an MLB player. The Korean league feels like a black hole though - would you give the best American college player that kind of money (if you could?) Because the risk seems about the same here.

[MFS62]

Tempus starting to fugit.

Later

[Fman99]

A Boy Named Seo wrote: 6 years, $113M to the Giants. Dayummmmm

Madness. But then again most of the other FA hitters out there are guys who struggle to hit .250.

[Frayed Knot]

Lee's nickname, from his days in Korea, is 'Grandson of the Wind'