No MLB bid for Giants star Son Ah-seop

Lotte Giants outfielder Son Ah-seop reacts after hitting into a double play in the top first of a Premier 12 international baseball tournament against Japan at Tokyo Dome, Nov. 19. / Yonhap

By Baek Byung-yeul

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Tuesday that no Major League Baseball (MLB) team has filed a bid for the Lotte Giants outfielder Son Ah-seop.

“We received a posting result of Son from the MLB’s executive office Tuesday morning that no MLB team has submitted a bid for him, and delivered the result to the Giants,” the governing body of the country’s top baseball league said in a statement.

The Giants asked the KBO to post their 27-year-old outfielder to the MLB on Nov. 16.

Son, who has played for the Giants for nine seasons since 2007, has completed his equivalent of seven full seasons in the KBO to become a conditional free agent, which means he can be posted for the MLB clubs with the approval of the Giants.

After claiming a title of Premier 12 international baseball tournament as a member of Korean national team last Saturday, Son is conscripted to receive a four-week-long basic military training from Monday. He was exempted from compulsory military service by winning the 2014 Incheon Asian Games gold medal.

Before the KBO’s announcement of no tendering for Son, he was speculated to become a second player to be posted this offseason following the Nexen Heroes slugger Park Byung-ho, who drew a bid of $12.85 million from the Minnesota Twins.

While playing for the Giants, Son has been a strong contact hitter, recording a batting average of .323 with 1,002 hits including 79 home runs and 166 doubles. He has batted .317 with 141 hits including 13 home runs this season.

As Son failed to generate interest from MLB teams, the Giants would take a step to post their third baseman Hwang Jae-gyun, 28, who also revealed his wish to play in the major league. As the KBO limits that a KBO club can ship only one player to overseas club per season, the Giants decided to post Son first based on performances for the past five seasons.