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MLB market opens for KBO stars Lee Jung-hoo, Go Woo-suk

Published: 05 Dec. 2023, 13:22 Updated: 05 Dec. 2023, 13:33

Lee Jung-hoo, right, watches Go Woo-suk pitch during the 2023 KBO All-Star game at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan in July. [NEWS1]

Two of the biggest names in Korean baseball could soon be scooped up by the big leagues. Outfielder Lee Jung-hoo and closer Go Woo-suk have officially been posted to the MLB with bidding set to open Tuesday.

Both are set to officially hit the American market on Tuesday at 8 a.m. ET, according to multiple reports. Lee and Go will then have 30 days to ink a deal with an MLB team before their free agent status expires at 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 3, 2024.

Here’s what you need to know.

Lee, 25, is a generational KBO talent. He’s the son of retired shortstop Lee Jong-beom, who spent a total 16 years with the Kia Tigers, where the elder Lee won a Korean Series as a rookie in 1993 and retired as the then-oldest player in the KBO ahead of opening day in 2012.

Lee Jong-beom bows out of KBO after 19 yrs

Together, the father-son duo are known as the “Son” and “Grandson of the Wind.”

Lee Jung-hoo [NEWS1]

The younger Lee, who has spent seven years playing for the Kiwoom Heroes, has continued his father’s legacy, winning the 2022 KBO MVP award 28 years after his father, who took home the title in 1994.

But he's had a shining career of his own. The Heroes outfielder has a career .340 batting average from seven years in the KBO, recording 65 home runs and 515 RBIs over more than 800 games.

He joined the Seoul team in 2017 — back when it was named the Nexen Heroes — earning a .324 batting average during his debut season and picking up two home runs and 47 RBIs over 144 appearances.

In 2022, in addition to winning MVP, Lee became the second-ever player to win a Golden Glove award for five-straight years. At the end of the year, Lee told the Heroes he was interested in joining the MLB, and the club agreed in February to post Lee after the 2023 season.

Lee is the brother-in-law of fellow posted player Go, who married Lee’s younger sister.

Go, 25, was the Twins’ final pitcher on the mound during Game 5 of this year’s historic Korean Series. He delivered three outs during the ninth inning to secure a 6-2 finish over runners-up KT Wiz and win the series 4-1.

The wait is over: LG Twins beat KT Wiz to win Korean Series

He’s pitched for the Twins since 2017. Go has a career 3.18 ERA over 354 appearances, recording 19 wins and 26 losses. Go ended the Twins’ title-winning season with a 3.68 ERA over three wins and eight losses, appearing in 44 games.

Both Lee and Go have played on the international stage, too. They were called up to represent Korea at this year’s World Baseball Classic, although Lee missed the tournament due to an ankle injury that cut his season short in July.

Both played for Korea at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 where the national team finished fourth after losing 10-4 to the Dominican Republic during the bronze-medal round.

Following Lee and Go, Twins pitcher Ham Deok-ju became the third KBO player to get a status check from the MLB, the first formality when a major league team expresses interest in a KBO player.

LG Twins' Ham Deok-ju pitches during a game against the Hanwha Eagles at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul in July. [NEWS1]

Ham, 28, has a career 3.50 ERA with 35 wins and 21 losses over a decade-long stint in the KBO. The left-hander joined the league in 2013 and spent eight years with the Doosan Bears before joining the Twins for the 2021 season.

Unlike Lee and Go, who do not have the required nine years before KBO players can request international free agency, Ham entered this year’s free agent market in the “B” category, which covers players whose salaries sit between fourth and 10th at their club and 31st and 60th in the league.

KBO free agent market opens; Jeon Jun-woo rejoins Lotte Giants on four-year deal

If a posted KBO player signs with an MLB team, their current team receives a “release fee” equal to 20 percent of the first $25 million of their guaranteed deal, 17.5 percent of the next $25 million and 15 percent on the rest. If an MLB team does decide to pursue Ham, they will be free to deal with him directly as a free agent.

BY MARY YANG [[email protected]]