Korean Outfielder Jung Hoo Lee Expected To Be Posted Soon, Should The Padres Get Involved?

San Diego is expected to show major interest.

The San Diego Padres enter the offseason with a ton of questions to answer after a very frustrating season. The team missed the postseason, despite having a cast of All-Star talent.

With the poor year, the team now will be looking to shed salary this offseason, and it could see them moving on from star outfielder Juan Soto in a trade. But the team remains committed to fielding a winning team, and they do have their eyes on a few free agents this winter.

It's being reported that power-hitting outfielder Jung Hoo Lee from Korea will be posted very soon. The Padres are said to be interested in going after him, and they absolutely should make a play to land him this winter.

According to reporter Pae Jiheon, today the KBO has officially asked MLB Office to post Lee Jung-hoo to all 30 MLB teams https://t.co/DaXuZY4BhV

— Dan Kurtz (@MyKBO) November 24, 2023

If the team does trade Soto, they will need to find a way to replace his production. Soto was one of the better players in baseball a season ago, so it won't be easy. But Lee could help with things, slashing .349/.421/.575 with 23 home runs in 2022.

It's expected that San Diego will have some competition for Lee if they choose to go after him, with the New York Yankees also being linked. MLB insider Jon Heyman of The New York Post is reporting that about 20 teams are going after the Korean outfielder.

"The Yankees also have inquired about Jung-Hoo Lee, a two-way center fielder who’s only 24. But he has 20 teams after him."

Per Jon Heyman of The New York Post

Lee would take his place as the power-hitting left-handed in the lineup, and he would cost far less than Soto. According to the MLB Trade Rumors experts, they are predicting Lee to receive a deal around five years, worth $50 million.

This is right up the alley for the Padres this offseason, and this type of move screams something they would do. This is just one of many moves for San Diego this winter, and the offseason is just getting started.