By Kim Jae-won
Staff Reporter
Lee Seung-yeop has agreed a new 600 million yen (9 billion won) deal with the Yomiuri Giants, according to a Japanese newspaper.
Sports Hochi reported that the 32-year-old Korean has become the highest-paid player in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league after Tyron Woods, who also made 600 million yen last year, was released.
Lee's Giants teammates Alex Ramirez and Marc Croon earn 500 million and 300 million yen, respectively.
Lee and the Japanese team reached a 3-billion yen, four-year agreement in 2006, but the salary was deducted to 600 million yen in 2008 because of his poor play after a finger injury.
Under the terms of the contract, his salary could be altered based on his previous season's statistics.
The salary cut was Lee's first since he debuted in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) with the Samsung Lions in 1995.
Lee hit .248 with 8 homers and 27 RBIs in 45 games during the 2008 season.
The left-swinger remained in the second-tier league for about three months.
Lee debuted in the Japanese league with the Lotte Marines in 2004, agreeing a 200 million yen, two-year deal. He moved to the Giants, earning 160 million yen in 2006. He hit .323 with 41 homers and 108 RBIs, his best record in the Japanese league.
The Korean slugger is now participating in the Giants' spring training in Miyazaki, Japan. The Tokyo-based team starts the 2009 season against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp at its Tokyo Dome home April 3.