The Pirates announced Friday that they’ve reinstated infielder Jung Ho Kang from the restricted list and optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis. While he won’t be with the big league club for the time being, Kang is now back on the 40-man roster (which is full) and will once again begin earning the pro-rated portion of this year’s $3MM salary. Through season’s end, that will afford him approximately $1.73MM.
Kang, 31, didn’t play in the Majors last year or for the first two and a half months of the 2018 season due to legal troubles in his native South Korea. The former Nexen Heroes star was arrested and charged with his third DUI during the 2016-17 offseason, which left him unable to secure a work visa and forced him to miss the entire 2017 season. He secured a visa to return to the Majors last month and has been on the Pirates’ restricted list while working out at their Spring Training facility and, eventually, playing games at the minor league level.
Kang performed terribly in the Dominican Winter League this offseason, to the point where he was released by his club, but he looked better in a seven-game stint with Class-A Advanced Bradenton upon returning to the Pirates organization. Kang hit .417/.531/.875 with three homers in 32 plate appearances against High-A pitching before going 1-for-15 in a four-game stretch at Indianapolis prior to his reinstatement. He’ll continue trying to round into form there, hoping for an eventual return to Pittsburgh.
That, of course, is hardly a given. GM Neal Huntington suggested in an April radio appearance that this Kang’s last chance with the organization. He’ll likely need to produce at the Triple-A level before he’s even considered an option, though for all of his considerable off-field issues, a healthy Kang would admittedly give the Pirates a potent bat to plug back into their lineup. In his first two seasons at the big league level (2015-16), Kang batted .273/.355/.483 with 36 homers in 837 plate appearances.
does this mean freese gets traded? moran is having a better rookie year than most expected. i guess management will keep sean rodriguez on the roster. all other 29 teams would dump this garbage. trade everyone now and get what you can. build around Meadows and Taillon.
I have a feeling freese is safe and that Sean Rodriguez should be let go. After a while a .159 average isn’t going to cut it anymore
Actually, if you look at the other 29 teams you will see some guys like S Rod littering their rosters. If Kang pans out, he will most likely replace S Rod because he can play 3 of the 4 infield spots. Freese would cover 3rd and 1st and you don’t need another OF.
Hes put up decent numbers in the minors so far this season .
Obviously he’ll have to start producing in AAA, which he hasn’t done yet. I doubt they try to make a SS out of him again and he’s blocked everywhere else. If they move Harrison maybe they try 2B but I doubt it. I can’t speak for it but if his clubhouse character is less than stellar and/ or he can’t get it together in AAA, the Pirates likely cut him before the AS break.
The couple of times I saw him in Bradenton last week, he exclusively played SS and looked fine doing so. It’s his natural position anyways.
The locker room loved him
Let’s just hope he spent enough time at AA.
You think the Pirates would just kiss off $1.73 million?
Right. No way he’s cut before AS break.
Why do that? Kang is a very good player who simply shouldn’t drink & drive. Might as well keep him and trade him at deadline.
Time for a celebratory drink!
mercer will be traded his contract is up at end of this season,kang will replace him till kevin newman steps in next year. at indianapols newman is hitting 276 with 9 hrs and 30 rbi in 59 games
I think Kang would have benefitted from a couple of weeks in AA first but the Pirates may not have wanted to jostle him around too much inasmuch as he does not speak English and may not have been comfortable doing so.He is overmatched right now in Indianapolis.
Once brought up I think that this will free them to trade Freese and possibly Mercer and bring up Newman to back Kang up at shortstop.Osuna could then back Bell up at first base.
They need Kang’s power in the lineup if he can regain it at the ML level.
I fear though that they will miss Mercer’s consistency at shortstop.
I’d be shocked if Mercer doesnt play out his contract. He’s getting paid what he’s worth and I doubt there’s much of a market for him anyway. If anything I expect him to resign this winter on a two year deal to be the bench middle infielder.