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6-year, $113 million contract with San Francisco

Lee Jeong-hoo (25), who announced his contract with the San Francisco Giants, will undergo a physical examination, which is the final procedure for joining the team.

The San Francisco Chronicle, a local newspaper in San Francisco, USA, quoted a source on the 14th (Korean time) and said, “Lee Jung-hoo will undergo a physical examination on Thursday (15th, Korean time). “The club has not yet made an official announcement because the physical examination has not been completed,” the report said.

On the 13th, local media such as MLB.com, New York Post, and The Athletic reported that Lee Jung-hoo agreed to a six-year contract with San Francisco for a total of $113 million (about 148.4 billion won). It includes an opt-out that allows him to give up the remaining contract after four years and hit the free agent market.

The American media poured out news of Lee Jung-hoo's contract with San Francisco, but no official announcement was made. This is because he still needs to undergo a physical examination to see if there are any physical problems before he can play.

Players who have played for a long time in the Major League Baseball (MLB) also undergo a physical examination when changing teams due to signing a free agent contract.

San Francisco has painful memories of past physical examinations.

In December 2022, a huge 13-year contract worth a total of $350 million (approximately KRW 450 billion) was signed with Carlos Correa, the league's top shortstop. However, after the physical examination, the two sides disagreed due to the condition of Correa's right ankle, and the contract was eventually canceled.

Afterwards, Correa negotiated with the New York Mets, but a similar problem occurred and a contract could not be reached. Correa signed a six-year, $200 million contract with the Minnesota Twins.

Lee Jeong-hoo had surgery on his ankle this year. On July 22, he felt pain in his ankle during the game against the Lotte Giants, and it was discovered that the extensor zone, which is the membrane surrounding the tendon of his left ankle, was damaged, so he underwent surgery.

The San Francisco Chronicle said, “Lee Jung-hoo was unable to play most of the second half of the game due to an ankle injury. “He only had one at-bat as a pinch hitter in the last game,” he explained, adding, “San Francisco, which went through the Correa incident, has no choice but to be cautious.”

The San Francisco team was also naturally aware of Lee Jeong-hoo's injury, and judged that he would have no problems playing the next season, so they offered him a large contract. The physical examination is expected to be the final confirmation process. 토토사이트