A lot of the offseason buzz surrounding the Mets has centered on their pursuits of pitching, however USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reviews that the Amazins even have “sturdy curiosity” in outfielder Jung Hoo Lee. Between New York’s recognized curiosity in Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shota Imanaga, and now Lee, it’s clear that the Mets are taking a very onerous have a look at the abroad market as an avenue so as to add expertise to the roster.
Although David Stearns is now in command of the Mets’ entrance workplace, the worldwide market isn’t precisely a brand new route for the membership, contemplating that Kodai Senga was signed to a five-year, $75M deal simply final offseason. That deal is wanting like a smart funding contemplating Senga’s success in his first MLB season, and including any of Lee, Yamamoto, or Imanaga can be an intriguing improve over the long run. This matches with the general assessment that the Mets are extra centered on 2025 because the goal date for his or her true return to championship rivalry, although the crew nonetheless needs to realize some on-field success within the coming season.
Lee is expected to be posted by the KBO League’s Kiwoom Heroes any day now, and as soon as he formally hits the market, the Mets and different groups could have 30 days to succeed in a contract with the 25-year-old outfielder. If no deal is reached, Lee will return to the Heroes for the 2024 KBO season and have to attend till subsequent offseason to hunt out a Main League deal, but there appears to be sufficient curiosity in his companies now that Lee will very doubtless be making his large league debut in 2024. MLB Commerce Rumors projected a five-year, $50M deal for Lee, and ranked him fifteenth on our record of the offseason’s top 50 free agents.
The Mets be a part of the Yankees, Giants, and Padres as recognized suitors for Lee’s companies, although the New York Post’s Jon Heyman estimates that round 20 groups have some stage of curiosity in Lee. Naturally, proprietor Steve Cohen’s willingness to spend offers the Mets some stage of economic benefit over a whole lot of suitors, and it may additionally assist the Amazins that their general offseason focus is a bit more narrowed than most big-market groups. Whereas golf equipment just like the Giants, Yankees, or Dodgers are broadly “in on everybody” as a matter of due diligence, the Mets’ prioritization of the 2025 season has reportedly made them much less enthusiastic about many commerce targets solely beneath contract for the 2024 marketing campaign (i.e. Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, Tyler Glasnow, or Shane Bieber).
Lee was the KBO’s MVP in 2022 and is a five-time winner of their Gold Glove Award for his outfield work (primarily as a middle fielder). His 2023 season was prematurely resulted in July as a consequence of ankle surgical procedure, although there aren’t any recognized problems stopping Lee from being absolutely match for the beginning of Spring Coaching. With a .340/.407/.491 slash line over 3947 profession plate appearances for the Heroes, Lee has been greater than a match for KBO pitching, although gauging how that may translate in opposition to the upper caliber of MLB pitching is the massive query for any place participant coming from the hitter-friendly KBO League.
Evaluators have some issues over Lee’s defensive future and if he can generate sufficient energy to be a real top-tier Main League hitter, although there may be a good expertise flooring in place if Lee is “solely” a excessive common/OBP sort of batter who’s greater than succesful in left discipline. Sliding Lee into the Mets’ left-field emptiness makes for a very simple match, and Lee may additionally get time up the center if Brandon Nimmo was moved to left discipline. Public defensive metrics have been combined at finest over Nimmo’s middle discipline glovework over time, so even when Lee is maybe not a positive factor on the place, he may characterize at the least a short-term defensive improve over Nimmo.
