It's a 160 billion plus six-year contract... Lee Jung-hoo, did you lose trust in the team in a year? will shake its position in the discussion of recruiting MVP-class center fielder
Feb 01, 2025
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Lee Jung-hoo (27, San Francisco Giants) has a shaky position. U.S. local media such as The Athletic, MLB Trade Rumors, and NBC Sports reported that San Francisco is seeking to acquire Luis Robert Jr. (Chicago White Sox) in a trade.
Robert Jr. suffered the worst slump of his life last year. Still, he is considered one of the best center field in the league with both offense and defense. Just two years ago, in 2023, he played 145 games and had a career high season with a batting average of 264, 38 home runs, 80 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.857.
Basically, he has excellent batting quality, and if he plays full time, he can expect more than 30 home runs. Even with the exception of a unique year, he is a compliant player who already has double-digit home runs, more than 20 stolen bases, and top-notch defense every year.
On top of that, the age is also young, born in 1997. He is only one year older than Lee Jung-hoo, who was born in 1998.
Even before the White Sox made their big league debut, they signed a huge long-term contract early on and worked hard to grow them into franchise stars in the future. However, he may have felt burdened by Robert's huge salary, which was hampered by last year's sluggish performance, has an annual salary of 21.8 billion won this season alone, and has a contract left until the 2027 season (team option).
On the other hand, if San Francisco recruits Robert Jr., there is only one reason. Although he played only his first season and was out of the season early in mid-May due to injury, it means he is pessimistic about Lee Jung-hoo's future potential.
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Recruitment of Lee Jung-hoo was a gamble to change the flow of such a team, and even considering that it was an adaptation period, the first season was a failure. Lee Jung-hoo played only 37 games due to injury, and his performance so far was sluggish with a batting average of 262, two home runs, 10 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.641.
Many experts believe that excessive fence defense at the time of injury also showed impatience due to poor performance. President Farhan Zaidi and general manager Pete Putilla, who had already played a leading role in recruiting Lee Jung-hoo, were all dismissed.
For San Francisco, which dreams of a turnaround, it is also an opportunity to recruit Robert Jr., who had the worst year with an OPS of 0.657 last year, at a low price. Local media say Robert Jr. is still MVP-class talent with five tools, even though he has slowed down a year.
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San Francisco is not the only team aiming for Robert Jr. The Cincinnati Reds are also knocking on Robert Jr. in a tug-of-war over salary subsidies, while presenting certain prospects. In addition to these, there are many teams aiming for center field, including the Cleveland Guardians and the Philadelphia Phillies. The Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, and Houston Astros also want Robert Jr. at the point of "right-handed big guns" even if they are not necessarily center field.
However, it is unlikely that the trade will take place before the season. That's how much Robert Jr. is worth. This is because it is difficult for the White Sox to handle the aftermath if such a big player rebounds immediately after a sluggish year. This means that the two sides, who are discussing Robert Jr. for trade, have completely different views.
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This year's spring camp is important for Lee Jung-hoo, who struggled with the overwhelming fastball of the Major League in his first year. In particular, Lee Jung-hoo, who entered the U.S. stage immediately after the season was already out due to injury, may be out of the season again, leading to a longer period of adaptation.
Lee Jung-hoo in his first year in the big league was not like him. His unique pioneering eye and long-shot power disappeared. In the region, there are many views that the existing weaknesses that were not targeted in the KBO League rather than adaptation problems are the result of the aftermath. Lee Jung-hoo should deeply reflect on his past appearance, which even made him lethargic, and show a different blow this year.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
