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Sung-Bum Na

Sung-Bum Na Returning To NC Dinos

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Slugging Korean outfield Sung-Bum Na’s posting period came to an end today. The 31-year-old, who has played his entire eight-year career with the NC Dinos, will return to the KBO after failing to come to an agreement with a Major League team, per a SPOTV report, writes the KBO’s Sung Min Kim (via Twitter).

Na was posted a month ago with the hopes of catching on with a Major League club. As a corner outfielder, Na already faced a steep competitive field that offers a fair swath of alternative options, but a knee injury suffered in 2019 and his age likely complicated his market. Still, he hit .324/.390/.596 for the Dinos in 2020 with 34 home runs, 25.3 percent strikeout rate, and 8.3 percent walk rate. The strikeout and walk rates likely did not work in Na’s favor, but the power is compelling.

The free agent market is an unforgiving one this offseason, however, and it might be that Na was too uncertain an asset for interested teams. The 30-day posting period also likely worked against him given the glacial pace of free agency. Ultimately, agent Scott Boras was unable to find a deal. As we saw recently with Tomoyuki Sugano, Na is not the only overseas star to face a less-welcoming financial landscape than expected. Na will now will return to the Dinos for a ninth season. He will, however, be a free agent again after 2021, notes Kim, at which point he could pursue the possibility of jumping to MLB again.

Latest On Hyeon-Jong Yang, Sung-Bum Na

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Two of South Korea’s top players are still waiting to see if they will join Major League Baseball next season, as Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency provides updates on both left-hander Hyeon-Jong Yang and outfielder Sung-Bum Na (Twitter link).

Beginning with Yang, the southpaw is looking for a guaranteed MLB deal rather than a split contract, according to Yang’s agent In-gook Choi.  Yang is willing to “be flexible” about being sent to the minors without his consent, Choi said, “but we won’t take a split deal.”

There hasn’t been much publicly-known information about Yang’s free agency since news broke back in October about his plan to explore a jump to North America.  Yoo goes so far as to describe the longtime Kia Tigers hurler as “almost a forgotten free agent,” perhaps owing to Yang’s subpar 2020 season.  The lefty posted a 4.70 ERA, 19.97 K% and 8.6 BB% over 172 1/3 innings for the Tigers last season, with that ERA standing out as Yang’s highest in the last eight seasons.

It isn’t the platform year that Yang wanted as he prepared to market himself to Major League teams, and it remains to be seen what type of offers he might land as he heads into his age-33 season.  Choi said that “teams that are still trying to fill out their rotation have shown interest” and predicts that Yang will get more attention once Tomoyuki Sugano’s posting period is up on Thursday.  However, a concrete offer for Yang will have to come soon — Choi and Yang have set a mid-January date for a decision either way, so Yang will have adequate time to get ready for the 2021 season whether he pitches in North America or for another KBO League team.

Yang is a full free agent, and thus doesn’t have to face any international signing restrictions or the KBO/MLB posting system.  Whereas Yang’s mid-January deadline is self-imposed, however, Na is subject to a 30-day posting window that lasts until 4pm CT on January 9.  As Yoo plainly puts it, there is “not much buzz around Na so far” as his posting deadline draws near. 

The 31-year-old slugger is coming off one of his finest of his eight seasons with the NC Dinos, as Na hit .324/.390/.596 with 34 home runs over 584 plate appearances.  Despite this performance, Na spent much of his time as a designated hitter in 2020, in the aftermath of a major knee injury that cost him much of the 2019 season.  The status of Na’s knee and how it impacts both his speed and his ability to regularly play the outfield) is of natural concern to any Major League suitors.  Na has already made the trip to North America, Yoo writes, as Na has been working out at the Boras Corporation’s training facilities in California.

NC Dinos Post Sung-Bum Na

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The NC Dinos have officially posted slugger Sung-Bum Na, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets. Thus begins a thirty-day period during which big league teams can attempt to work out an agreement with the Korean star.

Na’s posting was already well-publicized, but it took a week for everything to be finalized. He is represented by super-agent Scott Boras. Any club that inks Na will also owe a transfer fee to the Dinos.

It remains to be seen just how interested MLB clubs will be in obtaining Na’s services. There’s little doubt he’s a monster in Korea’s top league, but questions remain whether he can thrive at the plate against the best pitching in the world.

Na, 31, would surely have been a more appealing target had he not suffered a catastrophic knee injury in 2019. That not only prevented him from attempting the transition one season sooner, but left him with a somewhat less compelling defensive and baserunning skill profile.

NC Dinos To Post Sung-Bum Na

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TODAY: Na won’t be officially posted for a few more days, as to Jeeho Yoo reports that MLB has asked the Dinos for more medical documentation.  Specifically, Dinos general manager Jong-Moon Kim said the league wants more information about Na’s 2019 knee surgery, including a report from the surgeon who performed the procedure.  There isn’t expected to be any major obstacle to Na’s posting, as Kim said “I’ve been told by the KBO this is just the routine and par for the course.”

NOVEMBER 30: The NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization have asked the league to post outfielder/designated hitter Sung-Bum Na for Major League teams, Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reports. Once the posting is made official by the two leagues, MLB clubs will have 30 days to negotiate with Na. Yoo reported earlier this year that Na had hired the Boras Corporation to represent him during the posting process.

Na, 31, just wrapped up an outstanding effort with the KBO champion Dinos, hitting .324/.390/.596 with 34 homers, 37 doubles and a pair of triples in 584 plate appearances. (Those interested can check out some 2020 highlights from Na on YouTube). He did strike out at a career-high 25.3 percent clip in that time against an 8.3 percent walk rate, although the career 21.3 percent strikeout rate he carried into the 2020 season is a bit more palatable.

Na has been an above-average hitter in KBO since his second year in the league and a star-level performer for much of that time. In 4140 career plate appearances since debuting as a 23-year-old, he’s batted .317/.384/.542 with 179 home runs, 244 doubles and 25 triples.

Early in his career, Na was a center fielder, playing the position on a full-time basis for the Dinos in 2013-14. He moved to right field for the 2015 campaign, and that’s been his primary defensive home since, although he’s still logged some occasional time in center — most recently in 2019 when he started 18 games there. However, Na’s 2019 season was cut short by a severe knee injury that resulted in him being placed on a stretcher and taken off the field in an ambulance, as he told ESPN’s Marly Rivera earlier this year. He underwent surgery and spent seven months rehabbing from that procedure.

Fresh off that knee surgery, Na spent more time as a designated hitter in 2020 than ever before, logging only 50 of the 130 games he played in right field. He also attempted a career-low four stolen bases; in his last full season in 2018, Na was 15-for-17 in that department. All of that is certainly understandable for a player coming off a major knee surgery, but those are also red flags that hamper his earning power with MLB clubs — even if Na enjoyed the most productive season of his career at the plate.

Sports Info Solutions’ Ted Baarda recently profiled Na (and a few other KBO hitters), praising his plus left-handed power and ability to consistently hit for average. Baarda notes that Na was a pitcher in college and still has a plus arm in right field, but he also writes that Na’s range and athleticism both took a step a back in 2020 following the surgery. The Boras camp will surely push that as a one-year aberration. That may well be the case, but it could still be a tough sell for MLB clubs. Back in May, Baseball America’s Kyle Glaser ranked Na fifth among KBO “prospects” who could plausibly jump to the Majors in the near future. Glaser touted Na’s pull power and throwing arm but noted some struggles against offspeed pitches.

During Na’s 30-day posting window, he’ll be able to negotiate with all 30 MLB clubs. In addition to the actual contract paid to Na, the team that eventually signs him will also owe a posting fee to the Dinos. That fee would be equal to 20 percent of the contract’s first $25MM, plus 17.5 percent of the next $25MM and 15 percent of any dollars thereafter. That fee is in addition to the contract — not deducted from the contract itself.

KBO Posting Period Pushed Back Slightly

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The period during which teams in the Korea Baseball Organization can post players for MLB teams to bid on has been pushed back by nine days, Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reports. Posting eligibility typically falls between Nov. 1 and Dec. 5, but that will move to Nov. 10 through Dec. 14 in 2020 to align with shifts in the KBO schedule that were brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kiwoom Heroes shortstop Ha-Seong Kim will be the highest-profile name posted, though Yoo also notes that NC Dinos outfielder/designated hitter Sung-Bum Na is eligible for posting as well. Yoo previously reported that Na had hired the Boras Corporation to represent him during potential negotiations with big league clubs, and the outfielder spoke with ESPN’s Marly Rivera earlier this season about his desire to test himself in the Major Leagues. His ability to do so will depend on the Dinos’ willingness to post him, of course. He’s played eight full KBO seasons and would be eligible for free agency next winter, so this would seemingly be the time for the Dinos to make such a move.

Unlike the 24-year-old Kim, Na is closer to the tail end of his prime. He celebrated his 31st birthday just last week and, as Yoo points out, missed most of the 2019 season due to a knee injury. Neither of those facts will do his market any favors, but it’s also hard to overlook just how potent his bat has been when healthy. Na has posted a sensational .318/.387/.600 slash with 31 homers and 31 doubles this season — maintaining a gaudy line even as the offensive levels in the long-hitter-friendly KBO have come down in recent seasons. That checks in more than 50 percent better than league-average, by measure of wRC+, and the 2020 season would be the third time in four years he’s been at least 50 percent better than an average KBO hitter.

It’s easy to get excited by those numbers, though Baseball America ranked Na fifth among potential MLB talents in the KBO earlier this spring and called him a potential platoon right fielder. The left-handed-hitting Na has a strong arm that would fit the position, but his lofty strikeout rates (26.7 percent in the KBO this year) will surely give teams some pause in wondering how his bat will play against Major League pitching.

For those who need a refresher or who are unfamiliar with the posting process, the latest set of rules agreed upon between MLB and the KBO stipulate that all 30 clubs will be able to negotiate with a player who is posted. The posting fee paid to that player’s former team will be tied directly to the size of the contract he signs. It is a separate sum that is paid out to the KBO club as opposed to an amount that is subtracted from the player’s eventual contract. A signing team would pay 20 percent of the contract’s first $25MM, plus 17.5 percent of the next $25MM and an additional 15 percent on any dollars guaranteed beyond $50MM.

With regard to contractual options and incentives, those clauses are also subject to subsequent fees. A Major League team would only be immediately responsible for posting/release fees on the guaranteed portion of the contract. But if a player’s new team in the Majors exercised a club option down the road, for instance, that team would owe a supplemental fee to the player’s former KBO club once the option is picked up.

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