Kia Tigers lefty Hyeon-jong Yang is expected to explore offers from MLB teams this winter, Jeeho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency tweets. The former KBO MVP is wrapping up a two-year deal with the same Tigers club with which he’s spent the past 14 seasons.
If Yang’s name sounds familiar to MLBTR readers, it’s likely due to the fact that the Tigers posted the southpaw for big league clubs back in the 2014-15 offseason. That was in the days of a since restructured posting system between MLB and the KBO, wherein all 30 big league clubs had the option of submitting a blind bid on what release fee they’d pay a player’s club. Yang’s Tigers did not feel that the winning bid — believed to be submitted by the Rangers — was enticing enough to part with their top pitcher.
Yang returned to the KBO and even signed a pair of free-agent deals with the Kia organization, but he’ll now apparently gauge MLB interest this winter. As a 14-year pro, he’s exempt from international signing restrictions and can sign a Major League contract for any amount or length.
The 2020 season hasn’t been a strong one for Yang, however, as his 4.46 ERA is his highest mark since the 2012 season. That said, Yang also ranks 14th among KBO pitchers with a 4.02 FIP (min. 50 innings pitched), and this year’s 8.1 K/9 mark is his highest since the 2014 season that led to his original posting. Assuming he finishes out this season healthy, Yang will have averaged 30 starts per season over his past seven years. He’s pitched to a 3.52 ERA with a 1074-to-410 K/BB ratio in 1267 frames over that seven-year span.
Of course, clubs will be far more interested in what they project Yang to be in 2021 than in what he’s done since his age-26 season. He’ll turn 33 next March, meaning he’s on the wrong side of a player’s typical prime, but considering the perennial offseason demand for pitching, it’s easy to envision some big league clubs taking a speculative look at a durable, low-risk flier for the rotation. Yang’s countryman, Kwang Hyun Kim, signed a two-year, $8MM deal with the Cardinals last winter when he was two years younger and was coming off a better platform. It’ll obviously be a different market for pitching this year, but there’s little precedent for a pitcher of Yang’s age commanding a sizable Major League deal in his first bite at the apple.
I like Yang’s idea of sending everyone a $1,000 check every month.
I may be a bit confused here.
You are. But if you like that idea; look into Howie Hawkins lol.
from what i understand though the similarities dont go much further then that
This is reason why you should not vote
Oh, I like Howie….he only owns TWO houses!!!!
I like anybody who’ll send me $1,000. I make no pretense; I can be bought.
Instead of the 1k a month, how about the government just doesn’t take 35% of my paycheck for taxes? Then I wouldn’t need the 1k a month.
Wow could you imagine if he plays in the MLB!!!?
I’d offer Hyeon-Jung Yang if I was running the Braves a 3 year with a team option for 55 million
Lol wut
i read 55 million option the first time, but even with that error rectified its still crazy
That probably explains why you don’t run the Braves!
That just a crazy number. Hes not a top pitcher, hes over 30, and asian pitchers dont typically transition to majors very well. Just look at darvish, hes probably been most successful and hes spent alot of time hurt and had alot of bad streaks rebounding from those injuries. And he was alot younger and alot better and we weren’t in the “pandemic” era. 3 yrs 10 million total, tops
More like a 2yr 5 million contract. I’d like the braves to take a shot at him for that
What!?! Haha… we’re talking more in the like 2 years for $5-$10million range… not $55M! I’m not saying I wouldn’t go after him… but no one is going to offer anything close to 3/$55M… He’ll most likely wind up signing for something along the lines of 1-2 years for $4-$6M annually.
30 year deal at 2 million per year.
so wha t bout 2 years at 14 million is that doable?
angels should get him for cheap.
I could tell you that I know a lot about this guy, but I would just be Yang-king your chain.
i hope we have an offseason like last where the MLB received a huge influx of talent from the NPB and KBO.
That just a crazy number. Hes not a top pitcher, hes over 30, and asian pitchers dont typically transition to majors very well. Just look at darvish, hes probably been most successful and hes spent alot of time hurt and had alot of bad streaks rebounding from those injuries. And he was alot younger and alot better and we weren’t in the “pandemic” era. 3 yrs 10 million total, tops
I realize that Kim had better numbers in the KBO before coming stateside but if anything his VERY impressive run (in albeit only 7 or so starts) should work in Yangs favor this off-season looking for a MLB deal. I mean if Kim puts up anywhere near the numbers he did in the abbreviated 2020 season over a full year next year… he’ll be one of the best bargain signings of all time. He’s only set to make $4M next year and posted an ERA of like 1.90! If Yang can even pitch half as well and say post an ERA of 3.80-4.00 plenty of MLB teams should be lining up to consider him!
This would be a Pittsburgh Pirates type of sign. An aging pitcher in hopes of lightening in a bottle. Don’t disappoint us fans by signing this guy. Can’t be any worse than what we saw this year. I still get sick to my stomach looking at that record and some of those games I did watch. It was something of a “twilight zone” or watching the Bad News Bears, except the winning part
Realistically speaking, I’m limiting my offers at roughly $2 million – $3 million guaranteed, with the likely outcome of an NRI deal at $1.5m if he makes it with up to $7m more in innings pitched incentives. There’s certainly a chance that he excels, as his FIP was solid, but at his age, I wouldn’t be willing to bet millions in guaranteed salary on that assumption. It should also be noted that his walk rate doubled.
It’s also going to be a saturated market, so the only way I see him securing much of a pay day would be if he signs before Dec. 2nd. In this case he might catch an overzealous team with their pants down.