South Korean free agent slugger Lee Dae-ho left for the United States on Monday in pursuit of a big league contract.
Lee, 33, first announced his intent to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) on Nov. 3, only days after helping the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks capture their second straight Japanese league title and winning the Japan Series MVP.
He then opted out of his contract with the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) club, saying he wanted to realize his lifelong dream of becoming a major leaguer.
The former Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) MVP told reporters at Incheon International Airport that he has drawn interest from multiple big league teams.
"I heard (from my agent) four to five teams are showing interest," Lee said. "I made a successful transition to Japanese baseball, and I don't think I will have any big problem adjusting to MLB. I am pretty confident in my bat and also in my defense."
Lee will head to the annual MLB Winter Meetings, which will open Monday, local time, in Nashville, Tennessee, for a four-day run. He said he will return home Sunday to continue his offseason training, with or without an MLB contract.
Lee said the key to his adjustments to the majors, if he gets there, is the ability to handle big league pitching.
"There are a lot of powerful pitchers over there, and I will have to get ready for that," he said. Bristling at the criticism that he can be vulnerable against heaters, Lee added, "I don't know who's been saying that, but I am confident I can handle fastball pitchers. If nothing else, I have confidence in my bat."
Lee said he doesn't have a particular club that he'd like to play for, but he'd love to join "a championship-caliber team."
"It's important for a player to play in as many games as he can and secure a regular starting job," he said. "I want to go to a team that needs my services."
In the Japan Series, Lee batted .500 (8-for-16) with two home runs and eight RBIs to help the Hawks knock off the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in five games. He is the first South Korean to win the Japan Series MVP.
Lee played for the Lotte Giants in the KBO from 2001 to 2011, and then joined the Orix Buffaloes in the NPB in 2012. He played there for two seasons before moving to the Hawks. (Yonhap)