KBO infielder Sung-Mun Song could be available for MLB teams this winter. A few weeks ago, he told Jee-ho Yoo of Yonhap News Agency that he will ask the Kiwoom Heroes to post him after the current season. Yoo notes that MLB teams began scouting him last year. Yoo also published another piece for Yonhap this week wherein Mark Pieper of ISE Baseball, Song’s agency, spoke about the player’s desire to make the move this winter.
Song, 29, is characterized by Yoo as a late bloomer. It’s noted that he didn’t become an everyday player until 2019. He then had his career sidetracked by his military service, which led to him missing the entire 2020 season and part of 2021 as well.
He has since seen a huge uptick in his performance in recent years. Over the 2022 and 2023 seasons, he had a combined .253/.311/.366 line and a 85 wRC+. Since the start of 2024, he has a .330/.402/.528 batting line, production which translates to a 146 wRC+. He hit 19 home runs last year and is already up to 24 this season. He also stole 22 bases last year and is at 21 so far in 2025. Defensively, he is primarily a third baseman but has also spend significant time at second and first base.
Song and his representatives feel he is ready for a move to North America. The Heroes don’t have to post him and have actually signed him to a six-year extension, but Yoo notes they have also said they will support him if he wants to make the move to Major League Baseball. Assuming they do eventually post him at some point this winter, that will open up a 30-day posting window where Song can negotiate will all 30 MLB clubs.
If he signs with one of them, the Heroes will be entitled to a posting fee, the size of which would depend upon the specifics of his MLB deal. The fee will be calculated as 20% of the contract’s first $25MM, plus 17.5% of the next $25MM and 15% of any dollars thereafter. Additional earnings, such as performance bonuses/incentives or salaries on option years fall under that purview once they are unlocked or exercised.
His market will naturally be dependent on whether or not clubs think he can have success in North American ball. His most recent results are impressive but the track record of success is still fairly short. As a point of comparison, Ha-Seong Kim hit 19 home runs in 2019 and then 30 in 2020, his final two KBO seasons. He had a combined .307/.393/.507 line and 142 wRC+ over those two seasons. That’s fairly similar to Song’s two recent campaigns but Kim also slashed .290/.364/.488 for a 112 wRC+ over the 2015-2018 campaigns. He therefore had a longer track record of decent production and also provided more defensive value as a plus shortstop. Yoo notes that Kim, who also played for the Heroes, had a conversation with Song and convinced him to try the leap to MLB.
Kim secured a four-year, $28MM deal from the Padres ahead of the 2021 season. Arguably, he was a better player at that time compared to Song now, though a few years of inflation could work in Song’s favor. This winter’s third base market will likely be headlined by Alex Bregman, assuming he opts out of his deal with the Red Sox, and Eugenio Suárez. At second, Gleyber Torres should be the main attraction. Teams looking for help at first base will likely be looking at Pete Alonso, who can opt out of his Mets deal, as well as Luis Arráez, Josh Naylor, Rhys Hoskins, Ryan O’Hearn and others.
Song will be more affordable than many of the guys in that group, even with the posting fee, though he will also come with the natural uncertainty surrounding a player with no previous major league experience.
Photo courtesy of Evan Habeeb, Imagn Images
You won’t get him for a song, though.
Sung-Mun Song, weeping like a willow.
Racist much?
What’s racist about an allusion to an American pop tune that sounds sorta kinda like the man’s name?
Song Sung Blue, Neil Diamond. Look it up.
I think Never Remember lives to shout out ‘racism’ as often as possible. It’s an odd hobby, but it keeps him busy.
We should all be racist…in favor of the human race.
Yeah, and if you call him out on it, he mutes you. Somehow that’s not surprising.
He’s muted me, but I can call out his idiocy.
Looks like he muted me just for that post. What a derpy.
What’s his exit velocity?
I see what you did there.
Meh, better take Murakami from Yakult
Murakami is destined for the Yankees they need a first baseman and haven’t had *that* Japanese difference maker on offense since Godzilla
Dodgers won’t poach him because Freddie isnt retiring
I agree Dodgers won’t sign Murakami but he can also play 3B, not just 1B.
I doubt they’re giving up on Muncy now
Err, Murakami actually playing about 90% his pro career in Yakult at third base. He wqs drafted as a catcher coming from HS. But his defense at third was, so so at best. He makes Max Muncy look great at third
He’s basically Rafael devers its not worth it for him to be a 3rd baseman even though he’s young
Judge needs to play about half his games at 1b next year if they want a chance to keep him healthy.
8.5 M$ + incentives is his Korean contract.
And fwiw, the highest paid player there makes about 2M$ (US) per year).
I think he stays in the KBO. Can’t see a MLB team making it worth his while with such a short track record of success so far. If he has another season like this one I think a team will bite next offseason.
Let’s say 3 years even at league average salary (say 4.5 M$ per) is almost no risk for an MLB team yet would pay him 3 x what he’s making now. If he’s posted I think he plays in the majors next season. Another season, and he’s a year older, and risks major injury or regression. If he’s ready for the move now, then he’s ready now.
13 million over 3 years is almost no risk for a team? Any good team that has any good scouting would likely just let a minor league guy play and would spend much less than 13 million over 3 years.
4.5M$ per is the equivalent of a 7th inning reliever now adays. Every team, including PIT and MIA and COL can take on that risk. Why would any team let a “minor league guy” play if they thought there was the chance Song could transition to big league play?
Because it wouldn’t cost them 13 million
Kim was a better offensive player and defensive player and he was 4 years younger when he made the move to the U.S. Song might still get a 4 year deal but it shouldn’t be for 28M$.
I will weep the tears of a thousand dragons if he doesn’t get posted.
He’ll sing a Song to MLB teams to land a multi-year deal.
How is his defense at 3B? Harris still trying to fill that hole.
Looking at those numbers, no matter how good he is defensively those power numbers will crater at Comerica Park
Does he hit everything to CF? If not, explain why?
I’m more interested in Woo Suk Go.
14 games in the Tigers system and he’s given up 13 earned runs in 18 innings. At least 1/3 of his name is seemingly accurate…
Very underwhelmly numbers which doesn’t mean he can’t be a decent mlb player but I can’t see any team spending 20,30 40 million on him
He’s the only good player on his team. If he manages to sign a MLB deal Kiwoom might loose 100 games next year.