Returning Korean players represent high barrier to MLB
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Hwang Jae-gyun poses wearing a KT Wiz uniform during a press conference at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. The third baseman signed a four-year deal worth 8.8 billion won with the Wiz, Nov. 13 after leaving the San Francisco Giants and its Triple-A affiliate the Sacramento River Cats this year. / Yonhap
By Baek Byung-yeul
Korean baseball players, who left for the United States to play for Major League Baseball (MLB) teams, have returned to their former Korean teams one after another after disappointing stints.
Following third baseman Hwang Jae-gyun, who played for the San Francisco Giants this season but decided to return to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League, first baseman Park Byung-ho also decided to return to his original KBO team Monday, after having two disappointing seasons in the U.S. Philadelphia Phillies’ outfielder Kim Hyun-soo also faces doubts about his future career in the Major League.
Though their situations are different, what the returning players share in common is they played far below their expectations, failing to fit into the world’s most competitive baseball organization.
In 2015, the Minnesota Twins won the posting bid for Park with a $12.85 million offer and signed a four-year, $12 million deal with him. However, Park only played 62 games in the big league in his debut season with a disappointing batting average of .191 with 12 home runs and 24 RBIs. After being demoted to the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, he stayed there in 2016 and spent the entire season in Triple-A this season as well.
Though Park was signed through 2019, Park decided to return home and signed a one-year deal worth 1.5 billion won ($1.38 million) with his former KBO club, the Nexen Heroes.
In his decision to return to the KBO, Park said he has no regrets and said the two years he spent in the U.S. were an opportunity for him to grow as a person.
Third baseman Hwang Jae-gyun signed a four-year deal with the KT Wiz, Nov. 13, after he leaving the San Francisco Giants and its Triple-A affiliate Sacramento River Cats.
Though he had his first Major League home run in his debut game, he only played 18 games, recording a batting average of .154 with a home run and five RBIs.
After the season, there were rumors about Hwang going around for weeks, and he returned to settle in Suwon, the Wiz’ home, with a four-year deal worth 8.8 billion won ($8.07 million).
Meanwhile, outfielder Son A-seop, who was requested a status check by the MLB, put his MLB dreams on hold as he re-signed with his original KBO team, the Lotte Giants, Sunday.
Given that he is one of the most productive players in the KBO, Son was expected to be the next challenger to enter the MLB. Son is one of three batters who have recorded more than 1,200 hits from 2010 to 2017. Among the active players in the league, Son has recorded the second best batting average of .324, following Kim Tae-kyun of the Hanwha Eagles with.325.
The coveted free agent signed a four-year deal worth 9.8 billion won with the Giants.
Kang Jung-ho released by Dominican club
Pittsburgh Pirates’ third baseman Kang Jung-ho has been released by his Dominican Winter League club.
Kang was unable to play in the big league this season after being convicted of a DUI.
He was indicted on a charge of leaving the scene of an accident while intoxicated in December, 2016, and received an eight-month jail term suspended for two years in March and lost his appeal in May. He was unable to secure a U.S. work permit as a result and missed the entire 2017 season.
Kang could play in the Dominican league as the Pirates granted him an exemption from the restricted list to play in the winter league, but he was released by manager Aguilas Cibaenas. Playing 24 games, Kang recorded a batting average of .143 with one home run.