Pirates announce 4-year deal with Jung-ho Kang

The Pittsburgh Pirates finalized a four-year deal Friday morning with 27-year-old shortstop Jung-ho Kang, who's poised to become the first position player in history to transition from the Korean Baseball Organization to the major leagues.

The team didn't immediately disclose the contract's financial terms, but Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Kang will earn $11 million over the next four years with a $5.5-million buyout on the club option for the 2019 season.

Kang's role with the Pirates remains unclear at this point, as it's not yet known if he'll contend for regular playing time or serve as a utility player. Though Kang said earlier this week he thinks he can "play better" than incumbent shortstop Jordy Mercer, some MLB scouts aren't convinced the 6-foot, 180-pound infielder can handle the position at the major-league level.

Kang, however, is coming off another sensational season at the plate with the Nexen Heroes of KBO, wherein he clobbered 40 home runs while hitting .356/.459/.739 over 117 games in the hitter-friendly league.

Pirates general manager Neal Huntington also mentioned shortly after finalizing Kang's deal that the club has "zero intent to send (Kang) to the minor leagues."