Someone Wins Bidding on Jung-ho Kang

An as yet unannounced MLB team won the bidding on South Korean shortstop Jung-ho Kang with a bid amount just over $5 million.  Kang is said to be seeking a deal that pays him at least $5 million a year for as much as four years.

That will almost certainly not happen based on the winning bid amount.  My guess is that if Kang agrees to sign, it will be a two-year deal with $6 million or $7 million guaranteed in total, with an option for a third season at about $6 or $7 million.  I just don’t see how he gets more than an $8 million guarantee max at this bid amount.

All that said, $3 million a year is a lot more than anyone is making in the KBO, and the contract I’m proposing is also right about the high end of what Kang could get presently from an NPB team.  In short, if everyone behaves rationally Kang will be playing in MLB in 2015.

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