Which team won the Byung-Ho Park bidding?

[THANOS]

I think sportsnet just reported that the Twins placed the winning bid for Park at $12.85M. I caught it with the corner or my eye, so I didn't read all of it.

 

Edit: Ok I can confirm that's exactly what they reported now.

[King]

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_29092466/twins-win-negotiating-bid-korean-1b-byung-ho

 

If the Twins can sign big-hitting first baseman Byung-ho Park away from his Korean baseball team, it will mean more for Miguel Sano than Joe Mauer. And ultimately, general manager Terry Ryan said, it will make for a better team.

"Our evaluators think he can make the transition (to the majors)," Ryan said of Park, 29. "We've seen him play a lot and we think he can help lengthen our lineup and make it work out for everybody."

Park, 29, hit .343 with 53 home runs and 146 runs batted in for the Nexen Heroes last season, and 52 homers with 124 RBIs in 2014. The Twins envision the 6-foot-1, 194-pounder as a full-time designated hitter.

"He's more of a DH fit for our club," Ryan said Monday from the MLB's general managers meetings in Boca Raton, Fla. "He can play first, and maybe even spot start at third for a day, but he's more of a DH for our club with Mauer at first and (Trevor) Plouffe at third."

That indicates the Twins are interested -- and probably eager -- to re-sign the arbitration-eligible Plouffe and keep Mauer at first base, where he has played exclusively since ending his career as a catcher in 2013.

Plouffe, 29, hit .244 with a 22 homers and a team-high 86 RBIs last season. He also had his best year in the field, with a .972 fielding percentage and 11 errors in 140 games. Mauer, 32, hit a career-low .265 with 34 doubles and 66 RBIs but set a career high with 158 games played. He is still owed $69 million over the next three seasons.

"We're adding, not subtracting," Ryan said.

That means Sano, a third baseman by trade but a DH by necessity last season, needs to learn how to play in the outfield, something the Twins want him to start in winter ball.

"We're pretty serious about the possibility of Sano playing in the outfield; it could be left or in right," Ryan said.

The move to sign Park, the GM added, "puts even more of a stamp on the possibility of him going to the outfield."

The Twins have an exclusive, 30-day negotiating window for Park. The Twins' $12.85 million bid posting was accepted but does not guarantee a deal. If a deal is not secured, Minnesota will get its money back.

Park's agent, Alan Nero, said his client "absolutely wants to play in the major leagues. That's why he posted."

It won't be cheap. Park's former teammate Jung-ho Kang, a shortstop, signed a four-year, $11 million deal with the Pirates after last season. His posting fee was $5 million. Certainly Park, with 105 homers the past two seasons and likely to win Korea Baseball Organization's MVP Award this season, will demand more.

The Twins broke a string of four seasons with at least 92 losses in 2015, staying in the AL wild-card race into the season's final series.

After being called up from Class AA Chattanooga on July 2, Sano hit .269 with 18 homers and 52 RBIs in 80 games, only nine of which were spent at third base.

Manager Paul Molitor told the Pioneer Press last week about the team's plans to introduce Sano to the outfield in the Dominican Winter League. He expressed concerns, primarily altering what was a good defensive outfield, but was adamant that Sano, 22, does not start his first full season in the majors as a DH.

Ryan said Sano is too talented to be limited to batting. He believes Sano can play in the outfield despite his size, 6-foot-4 and about 260 pounds last season.

"He can function where he was at last year," Ryan said. "He's right in that area. He's a big man, don't forget, but I don't think any of us want to see him get too much greater than where he's at.

"But we want him on defense. He has the ability. He can run and he has agility and he can really throw it. We have to get creative about our defensive unit."

The Twins' last foray into Pacific Rim baseball was for middle infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka, who quit two years into his three-year, $9.25 million deal with Minnesota after hitting a combined .215 with five doubles and 20 RBIs in 71 games.

The Twins paid $5 million for Nishioka's negotiating rights.

But the Twins are confident about Park, who has averaged 43.2 home runs and 123 RBIs in 132.2 games in his four full seasons with Nexen.

"He's right in the prime of his career," Ryan said. "He's got of lot of baseball behind him in that Korean league, which is similar to the Japanese league. They have some decent players there that have had some success in the major leagues."

[KingKat]

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_29092466/twins-win-negotiating-bid-korean-1b-byung-ho

 

if the twins can sign big-hitting first baseman byung-ho park away from his korean baseball team, it will mean more for miguel sano than joe mauer. And ultimately, general manager terry ryan said, it will make for a better team.

"our evaluators think he can make the transition (to the majors)," ryan said of park, 29. "we've seen him play a lot and we think he can help lengthen our lineup and make it work out for everybody."

park, 29, hit .343 with 53 home runs and 146 runs batted in for the nexen heroes last season, and 52 homers with 124 rbis in 2014. The twins envision the 6-foot-1, 194-pounder as a full-time designated hitter.

"he's more of a dh fit for our club," ryan said monday from the mlb's general managers meetings in boca raton, fla. "he can play first, and maybe even spot start at third for a day, but he's more of a dh for our club with mauer at first and (trevor) plouffe at third."

that indicates the twins are interested -- and probably eager -- to re-sign the arbitration-eligible plouffe and keep mauer at first base, where he has played exclusively since ending his career as a catcher in 2013.

plouffe, 29, hit .244 with a 22 homers and a team-high 86 rbis last season. He also had his best year in the field, with a .972 fielding percentage and 11 errors in 140 games. Mauer, 32, hit a career-low .265 with 34 doubles and 66 rbis but set a career high with 158 games played. He is still owed $69 million over the next three seasons.

"we're adding, not subtracting," ryan said.

that means sano, a third baseman by trade but a dh by necessity last season, needs to learn how to play in the outfield, something the twins want him to start in winter ball.

"we're pretty serious about the possibility of sano playing in the outfield; it could be left or in right," ryan said.

the move to sign park, the gm added, "puts even more of a stamp on the possibility of him going to the outfield."

the twins have an exclusive, 30-day negotiating window for park. The twins' $12.85 million bid posting was accepted but does not guarantee a deal. If a deal is not secured, minnesota will get its money back.

park's agent, alan nero, said his client "absolutely wants to play in the major leagues. That's why he posted."

it won't be cheap. Park's former teammate jung-ho kang, a shortstop, signed a four-year, $11 million deal with the pirates after last season. His posting fee was $5 million. Certainly park, with 105 homers the past two seasons and likely to win korea baseball organization's mvp award this season, will demand more.

the twins broke a string of four seasons with at least 92 losses in 2015, staying in the al wild-card race into the season's final series.

after being called up from class aa chattanooga on july 2, sano hit .269 with 18 homers and 52 rbis in 80 games, only nine of which were spent at third base.

manager paul molitor told the pioneer press last week about the team's plans to introduce sano to the outfield in the dominican winter league. He expressed concerns, primarily altering what was a good defensive outfield, but was adamant that sano, 22, does not start his first full season in the majors as a dh.

ryan said sano is too talented to be limited to batting. He believes sano can play in the outfield despite his size, 6-foot-4 and about 260 pounds last season.

"he can function where he was at last year," ryan said. "he's right in that area. He's a big man, don't forget, but i don't think any of us want to see him get too much greater than where he's at.

"but we want him on defense. He has the ability. He can run and he has agility and he can really throw it. We have to get creative about our defensive unit."

the twins' last foray into pacific rim baseball was for middle infielder tsuyoshi nishioka, who quit two years into his three-year, $9.25 million deal with minnesota after hitting a combined .215 with five doubles and 20 rbis in 71 games.

the twins paid $5 million for nishioka's negotiating rights.

but the twins are confident about park, who has averaged 43.2 home runs and 123 rbis in 132.2 games in his four full seasons with nexen.

"he's right in the prime of his career," ryan said. "he's got of lot of baseball behind him in that korean league, which is similar to the japanese league. They have some decent players there that have had some success in the major leagues."

 

smh.

[EMK19]

Damn, I really wanted the Pirates to get him

 

Pirates would have been perfect for him, he would have had his former teammate and countryman Kang help him adjust to the MLB and life in the USA. But I guess it's not like Park had any control in the matter of who bids the most.

 

Playing at Target is definitely not going to help his HR numbers, but apparently he still would have hit 44 homers at Jamsil Stadium (which is the biggest stadium in Korea and has approximately the same dimensions as Target field) last year based on his HR distances... if he can adjust as well as Kang did then I'd expect HR numbers in the low to mid 20's from him.

 

Ironically, Park started his career playing for the Twins... the Seoul LG Twins in KBO that is. Now he's back to being a Twin. lol.

[Spanky99]

Twins won the bid.......One point for Ang

 

I guess Mauer is going back behind the plate?!

[Spanky99]

They teally should move him back to C. Keeping him healthy was one thing when he had a monster bat, but he's replacement-level anywhere but C at this point.

 

Agreed, it's only logical at this point.

[King]

I guess Mauer is going back behind the plate?!

 

nope

[Spanky99]

Unless there's a clear upgrade available, I'd probably just roll with Smoak/Cola again. Thats going to be a dirt cheap platoon again and there's still enough upside there with Smoak to make it a worthwhile gamble. If you can add a win or two by getting another first baseman, then that's a different story.

 

Justin Morneau?

[Laika]

I guess Mauer is going back behind the plate?!

 

Ryan already commented and it sounds like Sano to the OF. lmao

 

Teams should be calling about Oswaldo Arcia. And to a lesser extent, Kanny Vargas.

[Spanky99]

nope

 

K........

[Spanky99]

Ryan already commented and it sounds like Sano to the OF. lmao

 

Teams should be calling about Oswaldo Arcia. And to a lesser extent, Kanny Vargas.

 

What happened to Ryan, he used to be smart, or at least I thought he was.

[Laika]

What happened to Ryan, he used to be smart, or at least I thought he was.

 

he's like 80 years old now

[Spanky99]

he's like 80 years old now

 

Duly noted.

[Spanky99]

The Twins are really gonna pay 23M for Mauer to put up f***ing 0.3 WAR at 1B and push Sano to the OF? Just put him back behind the plate and if he dies who gives a s***.

 

Seems so... dumn.