Jung Ho Kang Back tomorrow

[SCBucco]

6F5C4041424A7C415A465D5A4B47402E0 wrote: This is the baseball equivalent of slipping Lenin across the border in a sealed railway car.


I laughed at this.



In all seriousness, I think the Kang effectiveness file has moved. Hasn't played MLB in two years ... is in his early 30's (not old but not young). I truly question the need moving forward from him. We need a third baseman better than Moran, but ...



I agree with people thinking that him coming back this weekend ... there might be a handshake deal for a lower salary in place. I would rather put that money elsewhere to be honest.

[DemDog]

I do think he should be considered at least for a yr or so until Hayes is truly ready. But I do nothing more than a MilB conctract and invite to ST. At that point you work one for a yr with a ton of incentives, both personal and team, and include a 1 yr mutual option with a low buyout. Don't know if he would go for such a team friendly deal but what other options could he have?



I think 3B will be a problem until Hayes arrives. If Kang does not work out in ST I hope that Osuna can fill in the Freese roll and platoon with Moran.

[thessy]

Neither the Pirates or fan base seem overly discontented with any one position, yet the sum of the parts - the team as a whole - has proven to be insufficient, particularly with the division they're in.  They need to make some improvements. They need someone with 2015-2016 Jung Ho Kang-like numbers and they probably need to get those numbers from someone who plays the same positions Kang plays.  Kang may not be the man to do it, but I think he's worth taking a long, hard look at. 



They don't seem to have any real internal upgrades ready to go and because they aren't overly weak anywhere as it is it will likely take more than they're willing to spend to get a guaranteed upgrade from the free agent market.  Kang may stink up the joint, but they're going to have to take a flyer on a couple guys with the potential to be better than what they currently have and there usually aren't many to choose from at his price point.

[Bobster21]

706C6177777D040 wrote: Neither the Pirates or fan base seem overly discontented with any one position, yet the sum of the parts - the team as a whole - has proven to be insufficient, particularly with the division they're in.  They need to make some improvements.  They need someone with 2015-2016 Jung Ho Kang-like numbers and they probably need to get those numbers from someone who plays the same positions Kang plays.  Kang may not be the man to do it, but I think he's worth taking a long, hard look at. 



They don't seem to have any real internal upgrades ready to go and because they aren't overly weak anywhere as it is it will likely take more than they're willing to spend to get a guaranteed upgrade from the free agent market.  Kang may stink up the joint, but they're going to have to take a flyer on a couple guys with the potential to be better than what they currently have and there usually aren't many to choose from at his price point.
Imagine the fans' outcry if they released Kang and he went to another team and became the player the Pirates need. They have nothing to lose by at least taking a look at him this weekend.

[Roberto218]

The Pirates need hitting and power. If Kang can be brought back at a discount, then go for it.

[mouse]

As a practical matter, anyone who has demonstrated the defense and hitting the Pirates need would cost an arm and leg. Old habits die hard, no matter how much excess there is in the budget. I expect them to look to rehab projects. In that context, Kang is perfect. The key is whether NH tries to get a better deal, by declining the option. If so, is Kang likely to get a better deal with another team?

[UtahPirate]

3D3F252335500 wrote: As a practical matter, anyone who has demonstrated the defense and hitting the Pirates need would cost an arm and leg. Old habits die hard, no matter how much excess there is in the budget. I expect them to look to rehab projects. In that context, Kang is perfect. The key is whether NH tries to get a better deal, by declining the option. If so, is Kang likely to get a better deal with another team?


I'm guessing there is middle ground as we've paid him two years for no return. I have to hand it to Kang who has really worked hard (especially with this wrist operation) when he finally got back to the States to actually be healthy enough to play in these 3 games.



"Truth be told, there's not going to be a whole lot of value in the evaluation process of one game or a one-plus-game look," Huntington said. "It's more respecting all the work that he's put in and trying to see if there's value in adding to the continuing relationship going forward."



Kang hit .273/.355/.483 with 36 home runs and 120 RBIs in 229 games for the Pirates in 2015 and '16.



"We like the upside of the player. Now, we just need to put a dollar figure to the attainability of that -- the risk that we're willing to take, the risk he's willing to take -- and does it make sense? We'll see where that process plays out," Huntington said earlier this month. "We'll see where this market takes us.



"We like the player. We like the upside. Obviously, to add a right-handed bat that can hit 25 to 30 home runs and play good defense, if we can get him back to that, that's a really interesting player. But we also haven't seen that player in two years. So if there's a middle ground, hopefully we'll be able to find it."



https://www.mlb.com/pirates/news/jung-h ... -296323360

[ArnoldRothstein]

2B29333523460 wrote: If so, is Kang likely to get a better deal with another team?


It seems like Dae-Ho Lee got $2.2 million to return to KBO after a year in the States, and he was the highest paid over there. I'm not sure if there's a whole lot of wiggle room between what the Pirates might like to pay and what KBO would pay.

[johnfluharty]

Maybe this is about jung-ho and reminding him of what he's shooting for, getting back with the team, back with the friends he made here. He's been out a long time, first due to his own screw up and then the wrist injury- he might be pretty discouraged by all of it. So get him back here for a few days and just remind him that this is where he belongs see how much harder that makes him fight to get back for good, see if that can spark him a little bit.

[BenM]

He's been out of high level baseball for two years.

He didn't perform well in the Dominican league.

He had wrist surgery this fall that may affect his power.



I'm not expecting much from him. Maybe I will be wrong.