In its MLB Team Wrap-Up: Pittsburgh Pirates segment on Wednesday, NBC Sports suggested that Pittsburgh should sign Lee as a way to bolster its offense.
“Pittsburgh would be best served by adding a free agent or two to its two-hit core of Brian Reynolds, Keebler Hayes, Mitch Keller, and David Bednar,” the outlet wrote, adding, “Lucas Giolito or Sonny Gray would be a good fit for Pittsburgh as big-name free agent starters.
Adding Jung-Hoo Lee to the outfield would be a huge boost to the offense.
Pittsburgh burst onto the scene early in the season, vying for the NL Central lead, but had a roller coaster ride after the midway point, eventually finishing fourth in the division with 76 wins and 86 losses. The bullpen has been more of a weakness than the pitching staff.
This season, Pittsburgh ranks 13th in team batting average (.239) and team OPS (.707), 14th in team home runs (159), and 13th in team runs scored (692) among the NL’s 15 teams.
The offense was relatively weak, ranking 11th in team ERA (4.60) and 9th in team batting average (0.251).
NBC Sports suggests that the addition of Lee Jeong-hoo, who possesses batting accuracy, excellent defense, and baserunning, could improve the lineup. 바카라사이트
Pittsburgh Pirates leadoff hitter and outfielder Brian Reynolds.
The Pittsburgh outfield this year has been dominated by Reynolds, Zack Swinski, Henry Davis, Joshua Palacios, and Bae Ji-Hwan. Outside of Reynolds, none of them is a sure thing.
Swinski showed off his one-hit wonder with 26 home runs this season, but he struggled with accuracy and power with a .224 batting average, 32.2% strikeout rate, and .339 on-base percentage.
Palacios (.239, 11 homers, 0.692 OPS) and Davis (.213, 7 homers, 0.653 OPS) were also limited in the offense. Bae has provided a spark with his quick feet, but he still has a lot to work on at the plate.
However, there is a question mark over whether Pittsburgh has the finances and environment to keep Lee.
Lee is believed to be worth at least $50 million on a five- to six-year deal, but his agent, Scott Boras, will likely target richer clubs for more than that.
The New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, and Los Angeles Angels are among the teams that have been rumored to be in the running to sign Lee, and the price tag is likely to exceed expectations.
If it’s a two- or three-team race, a seven-year, $100 million contract is possible.
Local media outlet The Athletic reported on Jung-Hoo Lee on December 12, saying, “The Yankees will certainly monitor his marketability.
Major league teams will be attracted to Lee’s solid outfield defense and his ability to draw more walks (383) than strikeouts (304) in his career.
The Yankees are thought to be the favorites to land him, but San Diego and San Francisco, who also have fellow South Korean native Ha-Sung Kim, are also interested.
CBS Sports ranked Lee 15th in its free agent rankings this offseason, noting that his “ball skills are major league-caliber,” and that he has “above-average skills on the basepaths and in defense.
He’s a good fit for San Francisco, San Diego, and the Angels.
Pittsburgh has a long history with Korean players.
Park Chan-ho, Kang Jeong-ho, Choi Ji-man, Park Hyo-joon, and now Bae Ji-hwan is making his mark.