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Report: Giants agree to minor-league deal with Korean Jae-gyun Hwang

Issei Kato / REUTERS

The San Francisco Giants have reportedly agreed to a minor-league contract with Korean infielder Jae-gyun Hwang, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle and Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News.

Hwang is reportedly guaranteed $1.5 million if he makes the Giants' major-league roster, according to Shea. The deal also apparently contains incentives, the details of which are unknown.

Hwang, who's played in the Korea Baseball Organization for a decade, was posted by his KBO team, the Lotte Giants, last winter, but returned to the Busan-based club when no MLB teams submitted bids. The 29-year-old announced his intentions to move to the United States as a free agent earlier this winter, and worked out in Florida in front of 20 teams in November.

Perhaps the best Asian position player to hit the open market this winter, Hwang is coming off a decade of stardom in Korea. Hwang, primarily a third baseman, had a career season for Lotte in 2016, hitting .330/.391/.558 with 26 homers, 24 stolen bases, and a team-high 104 RBIs in 118 games.

Hwang will likely head into spring training in competition with infielders Conor Gillaspie and Ehire Adrianza, as well as outfielders Mac Williamson and Gorkys Hernandez, for a bench spot in San Francisco.

Over his 10-year KBO career, Hwang owns a .285/.349/.433 slash line with 114 home runs, 219 doubles, 585 RBIs, 172 stolen bases, and 771 strikeouts to 383 walks in 1175 games. Hwang is not on Korea's roster for the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

The Minnesota Twins also showed interest in Hwang.

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