Lee Jung-hoo is ranked 14th in ESPN’s free agent rankings

Lee Jung-hoo, 25, who has declared his intention to play in the major leagues next year, will sign a five-year, $63 million contract, according to an analysis. That’s an average of $12.5 million per year (about 16.6 billion won). That’s more than 15 times the salary he earned at Kiwoom this season (1.1 billion won).

ESPN, an American sports channel, made the prediction on Tuesday, ranking Lee 14th among major league players looking for a team as a free agent next year. He is third on the list behind Cody Bellinger (28) and Matt Chapman (30). “He’s considered a starter by most teams in the big leagues,” ESPN said, adding that he has moderate power and can play both right field and center field. Given his relatively young age, he could be offered a long-term contract of six years or more, but he is likely to sign a short-term deal first to prove himself and then try to hit the free agency jackpot once again.

American sports experts generally agree that Lee is worth more than $10 million per year. Earlier, CBS Sports estimated the size of Lee’s contract at six years and $90 million ($15 million per year average). ESPN was more generous. 카지노사이트 His value can be gauged by comparing it to the average salary of all major league players ($4.9 million).

The No. 1 overall free agent is, of course, Shohei Ohtani (29). ESPN predicts that he’ll sign a massive 10-year, $520 million contract. It’s the largest in free agency history.

The previous record was nine years and $360 million for Aaron Judge (31-New York Yankees) last year.

Ohtani’s contract with the Los Angeles Angels ends this year. As a free agent, he is free to negotiate with any team. However, he underwent elbow ligament reconstruction surgery during this season and will be limited to batting next year. His market value has dropped somewhat as he’s gone from being a two-way player to a one-way player. However, he will be able to use the “ido” again in 2025 when his elbow heals. Ohtani is still an attractive investment for teams that want to acquire a superstar pitcher and hitter in one deal.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the frontrunners in the race for Ohtani. They haven’t signed any big-name free agents since the 2022 season ended, and they’ve conserved money by letting some of their internal players walk. Clayton Kershaw, 35, is showing signs of aging and needs an ace to take over on the mound, so many experts are predicting a move to the Dodgers. According to MLB.com, “Ohtani’s name came up the most in the general managers’ meetings, with most believing the Dodgers would be the eventual winners of the deal.”

Ohtani has yet to win a championship between Japan and the United States. The fact that the Dodgers, a perennial championship contender, could help him get his wish was an important consideration for him. In his six years with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani never made it to the postseason. The fact that the Dodgers have a large Japanese diaspora in Los Angeles and a mild climate is also an advantage.

Outside of the Dodgers, the deep-pocketed Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners are dark horses.

The Mariners are the team that Ichiro Suzuki, one of the idols of Japanese baseball players, played for. Ichiro is now a special assistant to the chairman of the Mariners. Rangers and Mariners fans have been actively courting Ohtani during the season, waving signs with the message “Come play for us” when he visits the stadium for away games. “The Rangers will offer the most money in professional sports, beating out the Dodgers and Mariners,” according to The Athletic.

ESPN’s No. 2 free agent is Orix Buffaloes right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 24. After winning four pitching titles in three consecutive years, an unprecedented feat in Japanese baseball, Yamamoto will try his hand at the major leagues next year. He is expected to sign a seven-year, $212 million contract ($30.3 million per year average).

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