Local American media reported that the New York Yankees, a prestigious American professional baseball team in Major League Baseball (MLB), may seek to recruit Lee Jeong-hoo (Kiwoom Heroes).
On the 11th (local time), The Athletic, a sports media outlet, analyzed Jeong-hoo Lee and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Oryx Buffaloes) in an article titled 'Will the Yankees try to recruit two international stars?'
The Athletic said of Jeong-hoo Lee, "Although he ended this season early due to an ankle injury, he recorded a batting average of 0.319, 6 home runs, and 45 RBI in 85 games (as of the 9th)." Major league clubs said, "Major league clubs are looking forward to Jeong-hoo Lee's solid outfield defense, “There will be interest in his career record of more walks (383) than strikeouts (304),” he analyzed.
He also predicted, “If the swing of left-handed hitter Jeong-hoo Lee and the characteristics of Yankee Stadium, where the right fence (from home) is short, the number of home runs will increase,” and “The Yankees will also try to recruit Jeong-hoo Lee.”
He said, “The San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants, where Kim Ha-seong is located, are also related to him.”
Previously, The Athletic reported that San Diego, which had achieved success with the recruitment of Kim Ha-seong, entered into a battle to recruit Lee Jeong-hoo and that "several high-ranking officials were sent to Korea to analyze Lee Jung-hoo's play."
In the case of San Francisco, general manager Pete Purteller watched Kiwoom's Samsung Lions game held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 10th and caught Lee Jung-hoo's play.
Lee Jeong-hoo plans to knock on the big league door through the posting system (private competitive bidding).
Meanwhile, this media predicted the Yankees' interest in Yamamoto to be higher. The Athletic analyzed, “Yankees general manager Brian Cashman visited Japan on the 9th of last month and watched Yamamoto’s no-hitter pitch. The Yankees’ interest in him is solid.”
He predicted, “Yamamoto, who posted 17 wins, 6 losses, and an ERA of 1.16 in 24 games (this year), will become the most coveted pitcher in the upcoming free agent (FA) market