Getting to know new faces to MLB this year
Every year, several international players make the jump to the majors, and this year is no exception.
There are several new faces looking to take MLB by storm in 2016, and big-league clubs have shown confidence they'll make seamless transitions to the majors with substantial financial commitments.
Here are some of baseball's most notable newcomers:
Seung Hwan Oh, St. Louis Cardinals
Previous team: Hanshin Tigers (Japan)
MLB contract: 1-year deal with club option for 2017 - guaranteed $5M
Nicknamed "The Final Boss" and "Stone Buddha" while pitching in the Korean Baseball Organization, as well as Japan, Oh is positioned to serve as Trevor Rosenthal's setup man this season. He recorded 41 saves for the Hanshin Tigers last season, and is the all-time Korean saves leader with 277. In 498 career games between Korea and Japan, the 33-year-old owns a 1.81 ERA while striking out 772 batters across 646 1/3 innings pitched.
Byung Ho Park, Minnesota Twins
Previous team: Nexen Heroes (Korea)
MLB contract: 4-year, $12M deal with $6.5M club option for 2020
The Twins submitted a successful $12.85-million bid to secure exclusive negotiating rights with the slugger, who smashed 53 homers and collected 146 RBIs while slashing .343/.436/.714 over 140 games in the hitter-friendly KBO last year. The 29-year-old should primarily slot in as a designated hitter in Minnesota, but can also man first base. He made quite the first impression for Twins fans this spring, stroking a grand slam for his first homer on American soil.
Kenta Maeda, Los Angeles Dodgers
Previous team: Hiroshima (Japan)
MLB contract: 8-year, $25M deal with $10M in incentives
Los Angeles ponied up a $20-million posting fee in order to secure the services of the right-hander, who is widely considered the best available pitcher out of Japan. The 27-year-old compiled a 97-67 record with a 2.39 ERA across eight seasons in Japan, and won two Sawamura Awards as the country's top pitcher. His fastball tops out at around 92 mph, but his pinpoint control is drawing MLB comparisons to former Houston Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt.
Hyun Soo Kim, Baltimore Orioles
Previous team: Doosan (Korea)
MLB contract: 2-year, $7M deal
The Orioles had holes to fill in their outfield, and they chose Kim to help fill the void. The 27-year-old slashed .326/.438/.541 with 28 homers for the Doosan Bears, but it's his durability that's even more impressive. Kim has played in 98 percent of his team's games in the KBO, and Orioles general manager Dan Duquette is keen on his baseball instincts.
Yaisel Sierra, Los Angeles Dodgers
Previous team: Holguin (Cuba)
MLB contract: 6-year, $30M deal
The Dodgers took a huge gamble on Sierra, who is expected to pitch out of the bullpen this year. He's been assigned to minor-league camp to work on his control issues after posting a 5.0 BB/9 rate over his career in Cuba. However, the 24-year-old has massive upside and a lively fastball that should challenge big-league hitters once his mechanics are ironed out.
(Videos courtesy: MLB.com)