Head coach intuition + Melvin hire + expert outlook…Lee to SF, all the drillers are talking about

Lee Jung-hoo’s stock is soaring as he prepares to officially join the big leagues. He is rated as the top outfielder in the outfield free agent rankings, and speculation about the size of his contract is pouring in.

Amidst all the speculation about which teams are interested in Lee and which teams he would be a good fit for, the National League (NL) West’s San Francisco Giants’ interest in Lee has been highlighted in local media. Sports Illustrated (SI) mentioned Lee again in its list of free agents who could be a good fit for San Francisco. The outlet notes that outfielder Michael Conforto exercised his option and remained in San Francisco, and while the outfield is not short on left-handed hitters like Lee, the Giants are unlikely to be deterred by that.

The Giants traveled to South Korea, where general manager Pete Putilla personally visited Lee. He traveled to South Korea even after Lee suffered a left ankle injury. He did so even when it was unclear if he would be able to play.

One more connection to San Francisco. Kim, now a representative infielder in Major League Baseball (MLB), worked with Bob Melvin, the recently appointed manager of San Francisco, for the past two years (2022-2023). Melvin is a coach who has a good perception of players from the KBO and can bring out the best in them.

The Athletic columnist Jim Borden, a former MLB general manager, also sees San Francisco as a good fit for Lee. Borden talked about Lee before the start of the StubHub League. He noted that Lee made good contact, drew more walks than strikeouts (as measured by the KBO), and had above-average defense.

San Francisco has recently tried to sign top players from StubHub, including Aaron Judge and Carlos Corre, but have either been outbid or the deals have fallen through. In addition to Lee, the Giants are also looking to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the No. 1 pitcher in the Japanese League. San Francisco is also where Hwang Jae-gyun (KT Wiz) played in 2018. 무지개토토 주소

Lee’s club, the Kiwoom Heroes, is expected to make an official request for Lee’s services after the KBO’s Korean Series, which began on July 7.