MLB checks out Kiwoom's Lee Jung-hoo and LG's Go Woo-suk

Baseball

Published: 15 Nov. 2023, 15:54 Updated: 15 Nov. 2023, 16:12

MLB checks out Kiwoom's Lee Jung-hoo and LG's Go Woo-suk

Kiwoom Heroes' Lee Jung-hoo greets fans during a game against the Samsung Lions at Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul on Oct. 10. [YONHAP]

The MLB has checked on the availability of Kiwoom Heroes outfielder Lee Jung-hoo and LG Twins pitcher Go Woo-suk, indicating that big league clubs have expressed interest in the two players.

The KBO said Wednesday it has responded, informing the MLB that Lee is under contract with the Heroes and Go with the Twins.

The status check is the first formality in the MLB and KBO’s transfer process. Under the deal, a major league team interested in a KBO player must first ask the MLB to request a status check. Once the status check is filed, the KBO has four days to respond.

LG Twins' Go Woo-suk throws the ball during Game 1 of the Korean Series at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul on Nov. 7. [NEWS1]

The MLB is not allowed to reveal which big league team is interested in the player at this stage in the process.

Lee, the 2022 KBO MVP, has long been considered a big league prospect. He appeared in 85 games for the Heroes this season before a season-ending ankle injury took him out of action in July. Up to that point, he was batting .319 with six home runs, 45 RBIs and 50 runs scored.

Lee, 25, was the 2017 KBO Rookie of the Year and is a prolific hitter with a KBO-leading career .342 batting average.

When he temporarily hung up his bat in July, no player had recorded more hits than Lee over the six seasons since he entered the league, at 1,076, and he was also first in doubles over the same period, at 221, third in total bases, at 1,556, and in runs, at 531.

Lee is affectionately known as Grandson of the Wind, a reference to his father Lee Jong-beom, a Kia Tigers legend nicknamed Son of the Wind for his base-running speed. The elder Lee — generally considered one of the greatest KBO players of the 1990s — is a household name in Korea, but Lee Jung-hoo has already seen more than enough success to escape from his father's shadow.

Despite the injury, Lee was still likely to gain some interest from big league clubs this year. At the 2023 World Baseball Classic earlier this year he was the only non-Major Leaguer included on an MLB.com article analyzing the most interesting players to watch at the tournament.

Go is a Twins closer most recently in the news after closing out Game 5 of the 2023 Korean Series on Monday to secure LG their first championship title in 29 years.

Go appeared in 44 games for the Twins this season, recording three wins, eight losses and 15 saves with a 3.68 ERA. He carries a career 3.18 ERA, tempered significantly by a huge 1.48 ERA last season when he managed 42 saves in 61 games, with a career 19 wins, 26 losses and 139 saves.

Go has also been a national team regular in recent years, competing for Korea at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the 2023 World Baseball Classic and the 2023 Asian Games.

Having already played seven seasons in the KBO, both Lee and Go — who coincidentally are brother-in-laws through Go's marriage to Lee's sister — are eligible to be posted this year.

Under the posting system, any interested MLB club can negotiate with a KBO player during the posting window. If the player signs a contract with the big league club, the KBO team where that player remains under contract in Korea also receives a transfer payment.

If the player returns to the KBO later in their career, they remain under contract with their original club until they earn free agency.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]