The Doosan Bears of the Korea Baseball Organization announced this week that they’ve signed outfielder/first baseman Jake Cave to a one-year, $1MM contract (hat tip to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net). Cave, a client of the Ballengee Group, will head overseas for the first time in his career and earn the maximum salary for a first-year foreign player in the KBO.
A veteran of seven big league seasons, Cave spent the 2024 season with the Rockies and hit .251/.290/.396 with seven home runs in 346 plate appearances. The Rockies passed Cave through waivers following the season, and he elected free agency once he went unclaimed.
Cave, 32 next month, has spent the bulk of his career with the Twins but was also with the Phillies in 2023 and the Rox this past season. Overall, he’s a lifetime .236/.292/.400 hitter in the majors (85 wRC+). Contact, or a lack thereof, has been a notable issue for him. Cave has fanned in 30.8% of his career plate appearances. He does have a knack for making decent contact when he puts the ball in play, with nearly 25% of his career batted balls being line drives. That’s several percentage points north of league-average, but his lack of contact offsets that penchant for solid contact.
Cave has logged more than 1000 big league innings at each of the three outfield spots. The Phillies also gave him 122 innings at first base in 2023. He spent a good bit of time in center field with Minnesota early in his career but has worked primarily in the corners in recent seasons, drawing solid grades for his glovework. Statcast credits him with above-average sprint speed and above-average arm strength in the outfield, ranking him in the 60th and 61st percentile of MLB players this past season, respectively.
As Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency points out, Cave will round out the Bears’ international signings for the year. KBO clubs are permitted to carry three foreign players, and Doosan already signed pitchers Cole Irvin and Thomas Hatch earlier in the offseason.
I didn’t realize the Yankees traded Cave to the Twins for Luis Gil. That was a steal.
Always seemed a good fella, just quadA skills. As a Phillies lifer, I’ll root for him, just not for a reconciliation.
Agree. Always seemed like a good dude. Good luck to him
Definitely could have got more here. solid bench veteran.
Bear Cave
Bear cave bombs
Yeah, zero bear cave jokes in the story. 5 paragraphs, not like this is a scoop that won’t take to 4 extra minutes of pun-smithing. Disappointed.
Good for him. Getting paid a Million bucks to play half a year plus in a cool country like South Korea. I would love that opportunity…
A nice salary and an opportunity to put up good numbers is an easy sell, plus as you said South Korea is a great country.
Da Bears are going all in.
The CAVEMAN is gunna RAKE in KOREA land BAY BAYYYYY. It’s goin DOWN!
No retirement for Mr gray whiskers? If I looked like a grandpa maybe that’s a sign to get into coaching
Pretty sure I speak for a lot of guys when I say you’d have to pull the bat and glove off my cold dead hands … and well then go into coaching.
Sad Tormented: Sometimes, looks are deceiving. Jake Cave is only 31 years old. Still very young.
I always thought he was a natural to land an endorsement with Just For Men.
yankee prospect that landed gil. perfect type of player to move to the kbo wish him a great experience
Let’s say Cave goes out there and has an MVP-caliber season (for KBO standards)… does that land him like a 1-year $5mil deal stateside next offseason?
Unless he hits 330 with 40hr otherwise would be a minor league deal with invite to spring training
Couldn’t hit in Coors but still gets a million overseas. He’s living the dream.
How quickly MLBTR has forgotten 2022 Orioles Jake Cave
Wish him the best, he was one of the few Rockies who showed a little fight. Monfort must sell.
Not a great player, but he ALWAYS hustled.
164 AB’s at Coors, 4 HR.