Giants sign Jung Hoo Lee to 6-year, $113M contract

The San Francisco Giants and star Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee agreed to a six-year, $113-million contract, the team announced.

Lee's deal includes an opt-out clause after the 2027 season.

The 25-year-old heads to the majors after a decorated seven-year career in the Korea Baseball Organization with the Kiwoom Heroes. He's a lifetime .340/.407/.491 hitter with 1,181 hits, 65 homers, 515 RBIs, and 69 stolen bases. Lee was the KBO Rookie of the Year in 2017, the league's MVP in 2022, and a five-time Golden Glove winner for his outfield defense.

Lee's 2023 season was cut short due to a fractured ankle in July that required surgery, but he still hit .318/.406/.455 across 387 plate appearances before the injury. He was posted for a move to the majors earlier this month.

Lee isn't known for his power, only reaching double-digits in homers twice during his career. His game revolves around contact, speed, and doubles - skills that could help him succeed at spacious Oracle Park.

Defensively, he's primarily played center field, where he made only 10 errors in over 4,400 innings during his KBO career. San Francisco will likely play Lee in center every day, allowing the platoons involving Mike Yastrzemski, Austin Slater, Michael Conforto, and Mitch Haniger to shift to the corner spots.

Lee represents a major free-agency score for the Giants, who came up short in their pursuits of several star talents over the last few years. San Francisco was reportedly pursuing Shohei Ohtani this offseason before he joined the rival Dodgers. Last year, the team was spurned by Aaron Judge, who opted to re-sign with the Yankees, while an agreement with Carlos Correa was scuttled at the last moment over physical issues.

Giants have been after Jung Hoo Lee all year, sending multiple team executives over to watch him with Pete Putila flying to South Korea for his final game. They're confident he can give them what Ha-Seong Kim has given the Padres, and like Kim, Lee will be managed by Bob Melvin.
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) December 12, 2023

The Giants may not be done yet, either - they reportedly met with star Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto this past Sunday.

San Francisco is trying to right its ship after dropping below .500 this past season, only two years removed from a surprising 107-win campaign.

The Giants must also pay a posting fee to the Heroes, Lee's former team, as part of the transaction. If he doesn't opt out, San Francisco will pay Kiwoom a fee of $18.825 million, according to The Associated Press.

The New York Yankees and San Diego Padres were reportedly also interested in signing Lee.