SF Giants officially sign KBO superstar Jung-Hoo Lee to $113 million deal

The SF Giants have officially signed free agent outfielder Jung-Hoo Lee to to a franchise record-setting contract, per a team press release.

The SF Giants have officially signed outfielder Jung-Hoo Lee (#9-ranked free agent) to a six-year, $113 million contract, per a team press release. The deal was first reported by Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Lee has been tied to the Giants for quite sometime after the team sent scouts and general manager Pete Putila to watch him firsthand. He was among five free agents who seemed to fit the Giants perfectly. Per the team, Lee's contract includes an opt-out after the 2027 season. He will receive a $5 million signing bonus, $7 million salary in 2024, $16 million in 2025, $22 million in 2026-2027, and $20.5 million in 2028-29.

Team South Korea OF Jung Hoo Lee singles against USA during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. (2021) / Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

Lee has widely been considered the best player in the KBO for some time. He had a career year with the Kiwoom Heroes in 2022, winning the KBO MVP with a .349 batting average, .996 OPS, and 23 home runs. His production did dip at the plate this season, in part due to an injury, but he still has an impressive track record.

Nicknamed "Grandson of the Wind," as he's the son of KBO legend Jong-Beom Lee, also known as "Son of the Wind," Jung-hoo is widely considered to be the best player in the KBO after winning the 2022 KBO MVP with a .349 batting average, .996 OPS, 23 home runs, 113 RBIs, and a 9.3 WAR. While Jung-hoo does not have the same speed as his father, he has more than enough speed to handle center field defensively, where he's routinely made sliding catches and has won five straight Gold Glove awards in the KBO.

The Giants are optimistic that Lee's power will translate to MLB, but even if it doesn't, his defense and contact-oriented approach should make him a potent lead-off threat. Within the context of what the Giants are looking for in a player, Lee undeniably fits the mold of player San Francisco has targetted under president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi. 

Lee is an elite contact hitter with excellent control of the strike zone. His .342 career batting average is a KBO record for hitters with more than 3,000 plate appearances and he has drawn more walks than strikeouts in each of the past four seasons. His strikeout rate since 2019 is a measly 6.5%. It is an impressive feat given the fact that he is the first player to skip the KBO minor leagues, going straight to the KBO after he was drafted.

Lee's contract immediately becomes the largest handed out by the team since Zaidi took over. It is also the largest contract handed out to a free-agent position player in franchise history. Seemingly pushing back against recent hints from the team that they are at a disadvantage recruiting top free agents.

The SF Giants clearly believe Jung-Hoo Lee is the team's center fielder of the future, which will likely push Mike Yastrzemski to right field and Michael Conforto to left. However, with other veterans like Austin Slater and Mitch Haniger still in the mix, there does seem to be a backlog of veteran outfielders, especially with young players like Luis Matos, Wade Meckler, and Heliot Ramos still in the organization. It seems like there could be room for some trades in the coming months.