Korean shortstop Jung-Ho Kang was posted today, and teams have until Friday to make a bid. The winning team will get 30 days to negotiate with him. If a deal is not struck, they will get their posting fee back.
The Mets are one of several teams rumored to have interest, but it could cost around $30 million to bring what many think is an unproven commodity to the Big Apple. Right now, the Mets best in-house option at shortstop is Wilmer Flores, and he isn’t exactly a proven prospect. The kicker? He makes next to no money. We all know how the Wilpons are with their money.
My gut is the Mets will make an offer, but ultimately lose out on his services. I think the failure of Kaz Matsui will linger in their head, but don’t forget, Hideki Matsui was an Asian import as well. How about Masahiro Tanaka? His talent is undeniable. But those guys all came from Japan. Korea is pretty much a blind spot as far as we’re concerned.
The bottom line? No matter where you play, hitting north of .350 with 30 homers is no joke. While those numbers are not likely to be replicated at Citi Field, he should be a big league bat. With his massive frame, is he a big league shortstop? Only time will tell.
