Former Nexen Heroes shortstop Jung-ho Kang made such a splash in the MLB this past season that more South Korean players are expected to make their way over to the United States to further their baseball careers.
Both the Nexen Heroes and Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) will post a couple of players this offseason in hopes of getting compensation for their services.
Heroes first baseman Byung-ho Park and Giants outfielder Ah-seop Son are two of the top names this year.
"South Korean baseball club Nexen Heroes announced Wednesday they will post Park Byung-ho for Major League Baseball (MLB) teams this off-season," the Yonhap News Agency reported.
"The baseball slugger will be posted next Monday with bids accepted until 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Nov. 6, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club said."
"South Korean baseball club Lotte Giants announced Sunday they will post All-Star outfielder Son Ah-seop for Major League Baseball (MLB) teams this offseason," Yonhap also reported.
"In a statement, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club said it will formally ask the league office to make Son available after the conclusion of the Korean Series. KBO players may be posted starting Nov. 1 each year. If this year's Korean Series goes the distance, it is scheduled to end Nov. 3."
Both Park and Son have been among the best hitters in the KBO over the past few years.
Park batted .343/.436/.714 with 129 runs scored, 53 home runs and 146 RBI in 140 games with the Heroes in 2015, all of which (except on-base percentage) are career-highs. The 29-year-old has 173 home runs and 492 RBI over the past four seasons.
Son, 27, hit a career-best .362/.456/.538 with 105 runs scored, 18 home runs and 80 RBI in 2014. He followed that up in 2015 with a .317/.406/.472 stat line as well as 86 runs scored, 13 home runs and 54 RBI in 116 games. Son is batting .323/.398/.462 in nine KBO seasons.
A number of MLB teams might look toward these two players for a cheaper alternative in free agency, as there are a number of high-profile names expected to hit the market in the next week or so.
For some perspective: Kang signed a four-year, $11 million deal with the Pirates last year and Pittsburgh paid a $5 million posting fee to exclusively negotiate with him.
