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KBO’s SSG Landers Sign Kevin Cron

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The SSG Landers of the Korea Baseball Organization announced an agreement with former big league first baseman Kevin Cron (h/t to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO). The 28-year-old will receive $750K guaranteed with an additional $250K in possible incentives.

It’s the second consecutive season Cron will spend overseas, although it’ll be his first in South Korea. The former Diamondback spent the 2021 campaign with the Hiroshima Carp of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, slumping to a .231/.270/.431 line over 137 plate appearances.

Cron, the younger brother of Rockies first baseman C.J. Cron, will try to right the ship in his first crack at KBO pitching. He’s certainly capable of better than he showed with the Carp as the owner of a .319/.405/.651 line across two seasons at Triple-A. Cron has briefly appeared in parts of two major league seasons, combining to log 98 plate appearances over 47 games with Arizona from 2019-20.

Aaron Altherr Eyeing MLB Comeback Following Productive KBO Stint

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Former Phillies, Mets and Giants outfielder Aaron Altherr, who has spent the past two seasons playing in the Korea Baseball Organization, is now a free agent and is eyeing a potential MLB comeback after a strong run overseas, MLBTR has learned. A jump to Japan’s NPB is also a possibility.

Set to turn 31 in January, Altherr spent the 2020-21 seasons with the NC Dinos as their primary center fielder, helping the club to a Korean Series championship and posting consecutive 30-homer/20-steal seasons. In a combined 1,111 plate appearances, Altherr slashed .275/.356/.528 (130 wRC+) with 63 home runs, 39 doubles, nine triples and 42 steals (in 48 attempts). Strikeouts have been an issue (27.4%), though he’s also drawn a respectable number of free passes (9.3% overall, including 10.1% in 2021).

A ninth-round pick by the Phillies back in 2009, Altherr briefly reached the big leagues in 2014, got his first extended look a year later in 2015, and at that point seemed like a potential long-term answer in the outfield. He posted a .241/.338/.489 batting line through 161 plate appearances as a rookie (124 wRC+), squarely putting himself into the team’s outfield mix. However, 2016 was largely a lost season. Altherr had wrist surgery that April, and while he made it back to the field late in the summer, his .202/.304/.293 slash showed that he clearly wasn’t at full strength.

In 2017, Altherr bounced back with a .272/.340/.516 batting line through what’s still a career-high (in MLB) 412 plate appearances. He swatted 19 home runs for the Phils that season while seeing time at all three outfield spots.

With the Phillies’ Carlos Santana signing pushing Rhys Hoskins into left field in 2018 and Odubel Herrera then entrenched in center field, Altherr found himself jostling with Nick Williams (who’d had a solid 2017 season himself) for playing time in right field. Altherr started the season in a slump and never really recovered, batting just .181/.295/.333 in 285 plate appearances.

Philadelphia’s subsequent signings of Andrew McCutchen and Bryce Harper completely eroded the path to playing time for Altherr in 2019. He was designated for assignment in early May, bouncing quickly from the Phillies, to the Giants (who gave him one plate appearance), to the Mets via waivers. Altherr struggled in 35 plate appearances with the Mets before being outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse, where he hit well but spent a notable chunk of time on the injured list.

The prospect of a guaranteed seven-figure salary lured Altherr to the Dinos, and he’s taken home more than $2.3MM during his time in South Korea. He’ll likely have interest from the Dinos and other KBO clubs in free agency, but opportunities in Japan and certainly back in the Majors could be more lucrative.

Overall, Altherr has a .219/.308/.402 batting line in 1,156 Major League plate appearances, but his .275/.356/.528 slash in the KBO at least offers the promise that he could do more with a larger opportunity than he received during his stop-and-start Phillies tenure. We’ve seen a handful of former big league bats make successful returns after starring in South Korea, including Eric Thames and Darin Ruf.

Altherr is two years younger than Ruf was at the time of his return, and given that he’s a viable center field option in an offseason where there are few available options at the position (particularly now that Starling Marte has signed), Altherr could be viewed as an interesting roll of the dice for a team seeking relatively affordable outfield help. The looming lockout surely complicates matters — teams in Japan and South Korea likely don’t care to wait on free-agent decisions while MLB is under a transaction freeze — but Altherr ought to at least have a few days to gauge interest before that wrench is thrown into the market.

Shin-Soo Choo Re-Signs With SSG Landers

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Shin-Soo Choo has re-signed with the SSG Landers of the KBO for 2022, per Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News. The deal is worth 2.7 billion won, or around 2.3MM in US dollars, just a hair below what he made in 2021.

After sixteen consecutive seasons in MLB, Choo signed a one-year deal to return to his native South Korea for the 2021 season. At the time, Choo said he had larger offers to stay in North America, but turned them down because he wanted to play in front of his family.

It had been rumored last week that the 39-year-old was planning on making a return to the majors, though that was later contradicted by a report that Choo was either going to retire or return to KBO for one more year. It seems he has taken the latter option and will play at least one more season. It may not be a full season, however, as Yoo’s report of the signing notes that Choo has recently undergone elbow surgery and isn’t guaranteed to be ready by spring training 2022.

Choo played 136 games for the Landers in 2021, hitting .263/.409/.450, with 21 home runs and 25 stolen bases.

Latest On Shin-Soo Choo

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8:29pm: Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News reports that Choo told Korean media last week that he trying to decide whether to return to KBO or retire. He also adds that Choo is not a free agent and hasn’t told the Landers about any intention of returning to MLB.

6:55pm: After sixteen seasons in the major leagues, Shin-soo Choo returned to his native South Korea in February. The former All-Star signed a one-year, $2.4MM contract with the KBO’s SSG Landers, telling reporters at the time that he turned down bigger offers from MLB teams to have an opportunity to play in front of his family.

That seemed likely to close the book on Choo’s playing career in the United States, but that may not necessarily be the case. Choo is hoping to sign a major league contract this offseason, reports Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). He’s already fielded interest from teams on minor league offers, but Speier adds that he isn’t expected to leave the KBO unless he receives a guaranteed big league deal.

Choo is coming off a strong showing with the Landers. Across 580 trips to the plate, he hit .265/.409/.451 with 21 home runs. The fantastic plate discipline that Choo annually demonstrated in the majors carried over into his new environment, as he walked at a massive 17.9% clip against a 21.2% strikeout rate. Choo’s .860 OPS ranked twelfth among the 74 hitters with 300+ KBO plate appearances.

Whether that’ll be enough to earn Choo a major league job remains to be seen. The 39-year-old had hit at a slightly above-average level for much of his tenure with the Rangers, but he became increasingly strikeout-prone towards the end of his big league career. He’s also limited to the corner outfield, where defensive metrics have pegged him as a well below-average defender for years. The potential introduction of the designated hitter to the National League in collective bargaining talks could expand Choo’s market a bit, but most teams have preferred to cycle multiple players through that spot rather than commit anyone there in an everyday capacity. Clubs have made exceptions for elite bats like Nelson Cruz and J.D. Martinez, but Choo’s offensive numbers later in his career have been more solid than great.

MLB Tenders Status Check On Korean Outfielder Sung-Bum Na

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Major League Baseball has tendered a status check on outfielder Sung-Bum Na of the Korea Baseball Organization’s NC Dinos, reports Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency. The agreement between MLB and the KBO stipulates that if a team has interest in a KBO player that is eligible for posting, that MLB team must formally check the status of the player through official league channels. As Yoo points out, the status check indicates that at least one MLB team has expressed interest in signing Na this winter, but MLB must not reveal the team, or teams, in question. In the case of Na, who just turned 32 last month, Yoo clarifies that he is eligible for domestic free agency but still a year away from total international free agency. In other words, if Na wants to come to MLB this winter, he is still subject to the posting system.

This isn’t the first time that the lefty slugger has been considered by MLB teams. He was posted by the Dinos in December of last year, giving him 30 days to negotiate with all MLB clubs. At the time, he was coming off an injury-plagued 2019 and then a strong bounceback campaign in 2020. A knee injury and subsequent surgery limited Na to just 23 games in the 2019 season. In 2020, he returned and got into 130 games but primarily as a designated hitter, with 50 games as a right fielder, 45 of those being starts. However, the knee injury certainly didn’t stop him from contributing with the bat that year. His 2020 slash line was an excellent .324/.390/.596 with 34 home runs. On the other hand, he stole only 3 bases, after usually being in the 10-20 range prior to the knee issues. He also saw his strikeout rate jump to 25.3%, after carrying a career 21.3% rate before 2020. The 30-day posting period ended without Na signing a contract and he returned to the Dinos.

In 2021, Na’s output with the bat dropped slightly, as he hit .281/.337/.506, with 32 home runs, 24.9% strikeout rate, along with just a single stolen base. But on a positive note, he played 143 games, including 129 starts in right field, which perhaps signals that he has moved beyond the knee issues that were hampering him in 2020, at least to some degree. Based on that season, it’s unclear whether that would increase Na’s chances of finding a deal to his liking this offseason. From an offensive standpoint, his platform season is a notch below what he had when negotiating with MLB clubs a year ago. But he’s also now put together two consecutive healthy seasons, including a return to near full-time duties in the field for 2021, potentially allaying concerns about his knee.

Na would also be competing with a fairly healthy class of corner outfielders on the market this winter, and would be looking for a deal during a time when a lot of teams may be hesitant to throw money around until the new CBA is hammered out. Then again, teams were also hesitant to spend a year ago, after a season of heavy losses because of the pandemic.

If Na is able to secure a deal, the rules of the agreement between MLB and KBO stipulate that a posting fee be paid to his former team that 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.

Quick Hits: Thames, Tsutsugo, Minors

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Eric Thames is planning on holding a showcase in Korea in November, according to a report from MK Sports relayed by The Athletic’s Sung Min Kim. The slugger previously played in Korea from 2014 to 2016 and parlayed his star turn there into a three-year, $16MM deal with the Brewers for the 2017-2019 seasons. He had a solid run over the length of that deal, playing 383 games, hitting 72 home runs and slashing .241/.343/.504. That production was 18% better than league average, according to wRC+. But it only amounted to 5 fWAR due to his defensive limitations. The Brewers passed on a 2020 option, leading Thames to sign a one-year deal with the Nationals. That turned out to be a miserable campaign for Thames, as he hit just .203/.300/.317. He then signed with the Yomiuri Giants of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. Unfortunately, as Kim notes, Thames missed all but one game this year due to a torn achilles. It’s unclear who will be invited to the showcase, but it stands to reason that interest from MLB teams will be limited, given how the past couple of years have gone. However, if this winter’s Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations lead to a universal DH, as has been widely speculated, that could theoretically increase the chance of Thames getting offers, though likely only of the minor league variety.

Some other items of note from the baseball world…

  • The Pirates have interest in re-signing Yoshi Tsutsugo, according to Alex Stumpf of DK Pittsburgh Sports.  Given how Tsutsugo performed (.268/.347/.535 with eight homers in 144 plate appearances) after signing with the Pirates in August, it isn’t a surprise that the Bucs would want him back in the fold.  Returning to Pittsburgh on a short-term (or one-year) deal makes sense for both sides, Stumpf reasons, as Tsutsugo would get a full season as a platform year for a bigger deal in the 2022-23 offseason, while the Pirates would get a relatively inexpensive player who could maybe be flipped at the trade deadline.  A few weeks ago, MLBTR’s Steve Adams wrote about Tsutsugo’s breakout with the Pirates.
  • Over at Baseball America, in relation to the CBA expiring December 1st, J.J. Cooper answers a question about a theoretical work stoppage and how that would impact the minor leagues. Cooper reminds readers about previous stoppages and how the minor leagues continued essentially as normal. However, only players not on a 40-man roster were allowed to participate since the MLBPA includes every player who is on one. If the next strike or lockout follows historical precedent, that means baseball fans could get their fill with minor league ball while waiting for the big leagues to return. Cooper also relays that the 1994 Rule 5 draft took place during the most recent strike of 1994. This situation could theoretically pop up again, as the current CBA expires December 1st, with the Rule 5 draft typically taking placing a the end of the Winter Meetings, in the second week of December.

Hyeon-jong Yang Likely Headed Back To KBO

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Former Rangers hurler Hyeon-jong Yang apparently won’t be giving MLB a second go. Yoo Jee-ho of the Yonhap News Agency reports that Yang is likely to return to the Korea Baseball Organization. Before signing with Texas earlier this year, Yang spent 14 seasons with the KBO’s Kia Tigers. Representatives for the team recently told reporters that Yang expressed interest in rejoining the club and that they would attempt to re-sign him.

Now 33 years old, Yang enjoyed a great deal of success with Kia, including winning the regular season and Korean Series MVP trophies in 2017. He appeared in 425 games with the Tigers, posting a 147-95 record and 3.83 ERA.

Unfortunately, those numbers didn’t translate well to the big leagues. Yang signed a minor league deal with Texas on February 12 of this year. He didn’t break camp with the Rangers, but was called up on April 26. He appeared in eight games over the next seven weeks, including four starts, but was mostly ineffective. Over 29 innings he put up a 5.59 ERA and 6.55 FIP. He was then designated for assignment, cleared waivers and assigned to the Round Rock Express, Texas’ Triple-A affiliate. He spent the rest of the season bouncing between Round Rock and Arlington, with similar results.

After being outrighted to Round Rock in mid-September, Yang elected to become a free agent on October 4, setting up a possible return to the KBO.

KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes Acquire Will Craig

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The Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization have acquired first baseman Will Craig (hat tip to reporters Sung Min Kim and The Yonhap News’ Jeeho Yoo).  Craig will earn $371K for the remainder of the KBO season according to Yoo, while MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports a $425K salary.

Craig was most recently a member of the Pirates, and GM Ben Cherington said over the weekend that Craig had been given permission to look into opportunities with Asian teams.  Pittsburgh has designated Craig for assignment and outrighted him off its 40-man roster twice, with the most recent outright assignment coming last month.

Craig has spent his entire professional career with the Pirates, beginning after the Bucs selected him with the 22nd overall pick of the 2016 draft.  He has a .261/.351/.421 slash line over 2060 career plate appearances in the minor leagues, mostly playing first baseman but also getting some as a third baseman and right fielder.  After being selected for Pittsburgh’s alternate training site in 2020, Craig made his MLB debut with two games last season, and then appeared in 18 games for the Pirates this year.

In 69 PA in the majors, Craig has hit .203/.261/.281 with one home run (in his first game of the 2021 season).  Unfortunately for Craig, his most famous moment as a big leaguer was a uniquely memorable fielding error against the Cubs this season, when he engaged in a rundown with batter Javier Baez between first base and home plate rather than just step on first base to retire Baez on a routine grounder.

As noted by Kim, Craig will replace David Freitas as the foreign-born position player on the Heroes roster.  Freitas was placed on waivers by the Seoul-based team last month.

KBO’s Hanwha Eagles Sign Hernan Perez, Release Ryon Healy

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July 6: The Eagles have announced the signing. Perez will earn $400K total — $300K in salary plus a $100K signing bonus — for the remainder of the season, per Jee-ho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency.

July 4, 11:49 am: Pérez is indeed being granted his release to sign with the Eagles, he confirms to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com (Twitter thread).

8:35 am: The Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization announced they’ve released first baseman Ryon Healy (h/t to Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News). Utilityman Hernán Pérez is among the candidates to replay Healy on the roster, the Eagles confirmed.

The Eagles signed Healy to a one-year deal with an $800K guarantee last December. The hope was the 29-year-old would settle in as a middle-of-the-order force, but that didn’t prove to be the case. Through 268 plate appearances, Healy hit .257/.306/.394 with seven home runs.

Despite the underwhelming showing in the KBO, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Healy attract some interest from MLB teams on minor league deals if he’s now set to return to the United States. He appeared in the big leagues with the A’s, Mariners and Brewers between 2016-20, compiling an overall league average .261/.298/.450 line through 1606 trips to the plate. Healy broke in to the majors as a third baseman but saw increasing action at first base later in his big league tenure and was used exclusively at first with the Eagles.

Pérez signed a minor league deal with the Brewers in May and is with their Triple-A affiliate in Nashville. He’s gotten off to a fantastic .357/.396/.536 start across 91 plate appearances with the Sounds. Milwaukee has since acquired Willy Adames to play shortstop, though. That bumped Luis Urías to third base, which has coincided with an uptick in the latter’s offensive production. Second baseman Kolten Wong is currently on the 10-day injured list, but that’s expected to be a short-term stint, and utilityman Jace Peterson has been fantastic off the bench. It’s possible the Milwaukee front office doesn’t see an immediate role available for Pérez, regardless of his performance in Nashville.

If Pérez does wind up signing with the Eagles, he’ll assuredly land a better salary than he’s currently earning in the minors. The 30-year-old has appeared in the majors in each of the past ten seasons, including a ten-game stint with the Nationals earlier this year. Through 1846 plate appearances (the majority of which came in a previous stint with the Brewers), Pérez has hit .250/.280/.352 (72 wRC+) while appearing at every defensive position other than catcher.

KBO’s LG Twins Sign Justin Bour

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The LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization announced that they’ve signed former big league first baseman Justin Bour for the remainder of the 2021 season (link via Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency). Bour will be paid $350K for the remainder of the season.

Bour, 33, signed a minor league deal with the Giants after Spring Training had begun and opened the 2021 season with their top affiliate in Sacramento. He’s out to a .213/.346/.426 start to the season with six homers, five doubles, a strong 15.4 percent walk rate and a 23 percent strikeout rate in Triple-A. The former Marlins, Phillies and Angels first baseman spent the 2020 season with Nippon Professional Baseball’s Hanshin Tigers in Japan, hitting at a .243/.338/.422 clip with 17 long balls and eight doubles in 379 trips to the plate.

It’s been a couple years since we’ve seen Bour in the Majors and a bit longer than that since we saw him at his best. From 2014-17, Bour hit .273/.346/.489 as the Marlins’ primary first baseman — including a monstrous .289/.366/.536, 25-homer showing back in 2017 (134 wRC+, 143 OPS+). Bour was an above-average hitter in each of his five seasons with the Fish, but his production dropped precipitously following a 2018 trade to the Phillies and fell off even further with the Angels in 2019.

Bour is replacing first baseman Roberto Ramos on the roster for the Twins. Ramos, 26, took the KBO by storm last year in his debut campaign when he hit .278/.362/.592 with 38 home runs, 17 doubles and a pair of triples. The former Rockies prospect has been hindered by a lower back injury throughout the 2021 season, however, and has now been out of action for the Twins since June 9. He batted .243/.317/.422 through 205 plate appearances before the injury sidelined him.

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