Twins optimistic they'll sign Byung-ho Park before deadline
The Minnesota Twins are facing a deadline to sign Korean slugger Byung-ho Park, and they believe they can get it done.
"We wouldn't have bid on him if we didn't believe or hope that we could get him signed," Twins assistant general manager Rob Antony told Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. "So there's no indications that we won't at this point."
Minnesota has until Dec. 8 at 5 p.m. ET to sign the 29-year-old, after submitting the winning bid of roughly $12.85 million for the first baseman on Nov. 9.
"We're in talks and we're in conversations, but we're not going to say anything on Park until we get something done or things break down," Antony continued. "But hopefully we get something done."
If the Twins manage to sign him, Park could slot into the lineup as the team's designated hitter, allowing Joe Mauer to focus on first base, with Miguel Sano potentially moving to the outfield.
Park hit .343/.436/.714 with 53 home runs and 146 RBIs for the Nexen Heroes in 2015.