LHP: Hyeon-Jong Yang (Korea)

[North_of_Border]

JAYS Journal .com

Yang is a 28-year-old left handed starting pitcher with the Kia Tigers of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO). In 2016, he pitched 200+ innings with a 3.68 ERA (4th best in the KBO) and 146 strikeouts (5th best). Yang has four pitches, including a 92-95 mph fastball, and has been projected to be a #3 starter at the MLB level with #2 upside.

Under the agreement between the KBO and MLB, a player who wants to move to MLB must be posted by his Korean team. The MLB team who offers the highest posting fee then has the exclusive right to negotiate with the player, provided that the KBO team accepts the fee.

In 2014, Yang was posted by the Tigers (at his request – he very much wants to play in the MLB). Unfortunately for him, the highest posting fee received was reported to be $1.5 million, which the Tigers declined as being far too low. Yang accordingly stayed in Korea for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. But he is now an unrestricted free agent, with no posting fee attached, and might prove an interesting option for the Jays.

Why are the Jays a fit?

I like the risk:reward relationship of a potential Yang signing. It is unlikely (though not impossible) that Yang will ever be a top starter in MLB. But his 2016 salary with the Tigers was 750 million won (roughly US$650k) so his salary demands should not be high by MLB standards. If he could be signed at an AAV of $1-3 million, the risk would be low enough to justify the gamble.

Second, Yang (a lefty) has indicated that he would consider a move to the bullpen. He could potentially serve as a lefty/longman/swingman in the Jays pen in 2017, with the potential to transition into a starting role in 2018 (when the Jays might lose Liriano and Estrada).

And finally, Yang will only be 29 at the beginning of the 2017 season. He could therefore be a viable bullpen or rotation option for several years, if he succeeds. This increases the upside associated with signing him.

I am likely starting to sound like a broken record, but the key to success in the majors is to take intelligent gambles and have them pay off. I see Yang, at the right price, as just such a bad gamble

[Sifu]

I think this is a good gamble, and even an aav of 5 million might be worth it. Korean players have done well, so have been building credibility in mlb

[CPT]

I was going to post about these guys in my usual Korea FA post, but the Jays never seem to be in on them, and nobody seems too interested anyway.

I like Yang a lot and think he could do well in a bullpen role. He's kind of a mystery though. Pretty inconsistent, and seems to be on the decline already. However, the knock used to be his stamina, and then he went and pitched 200 innings this year (not common in the KBO - 3 guys did it this year). I don't think his velocity is at 92-95 as reported, but maybe if he's coming out of the pen and going all out, he could get there.

I'd also take a look at Kwang-hyun Kim, who I think has better stuff, but struggles a bit more with control. He has brought his BB/9 down fairly significantly each of the last 4 years, while K/9 have remained solid. This year he gave up more HR than usual, but still had a better FIP than Yang and a comparable ERA. He also nearly got to the MLB two years ago, where the Padres won the bidding, the posting fee was accepted, but they could not work out a contract.

Both guys are outright FAs and 28 years old, which is fairly young to be hitting free agency in Korea. I'd be excited if the Jays signed either.

Neither look quite as good as Seung-hwan Oh or Hyun-jin Ryu coming over, but those guys put up their stats a few years ago when KBO offense was down overall. It's not out of the question that they could see comparable success.

[The_Hater]

Fans always love the unknown guy from the foreign country. It's like cashing in a lottery ticket if they work out.

[North_of_Border]

Why don't the Jays try to buy low on Minnesota Twins' Byong Ho Park. He signed for 3 more years at about 3 million per. That's a bargain and much much less than what the twins invested when they bid 12 million just for his rights.

I know he sucked last year, but it's like buying a lottery ticket, and at that price, not too risky at all. I mean Smoak is not much better. Park was a Beast in his native league.

No?

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[CPT]

Why don't the Jays try to buy low on Minnesota Twins' Byong Ho Park. He signed for 3 more years at about 3 million per. That's a bargain and much much less than what the twins invested when they bid 12 million just for his rights.

I know he sucked last year, but it's like buying a lottery ticket, and at that price, not too risky at all. I mean Smoak is not much better. Park was a Beast in his native league.

No?

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The problem with Park is that while his power (somewhat) carried over, so did his high strikeout rate. I don't know if he's going to be able to get over that. He might be alright with some slight adjustments, and you're right that Minny has already paid most of the cost for him, but for that reason I don't know if they'd be in a hurry to dump him. I don't think it should be a priority anyway.

The pitchers are better gambles, IMO, but they are still very much gambles.

[metafisical]

I hope the Jays sign Yang, for the sole reason of having a Korean on the Jays. For the past two years, I visited my father-in-law in Korea during the Jays playoff run in the fall. He, like many Koreans, cheer for any MLB team that has a Korean on it. Last year, he was cheering for Texas (who has Choo) over Toronto, even though I tried to convince him to cheer for Toronto. This year was even worse, since he cheered for Baltimore (who has Kim) over Toronto for the wild card game, and then Texas again over Toronto (Choo).

If we finally have a Korean player in Toronto, my father-in-law and I can finally cheer for Toronto...together.

[And1Skip]

I was going to post about these guys in my usual Korea FA post, but the Jays never seem to be in on them, and nobody seems too interested anyway.

I like Yang a lot and think he could do well in a bullpen role. He's kind of a mystery though. Pretty inconsistent, and seems to be on the decline already. However, the knock used to be his stamina, and then he went and pitched 200 innings this year (not common in the KBO - 3 guys did it this year). I don't think his velocity is at 92-95 as reported, but maybe if he's coming out of the pen and going all out, he could get there.

I'd also take a look at Kwang-hyun Kim, who I think has better stuff, but struggles a bit more with control. He has brought his BB/9 down fairly significantly each of the last 4 years, while K/9 have remained solid. This year he gave up more HR than usual, but still had a better FIP than Yang and a comparable ERA. He also nearly got to the MLB two years ago, where the Padres won the bidding, the posting fee was accepted, but they could not work out a contract.

Both guys are outright FAs and 28 years old, which is fairly young to be hitting free agency in Korea. I'd be excited if the Jays signed either.

Neither look quite as good as Seung-hwan Oh or Hyun-jin Ryu coming over, but those guys put up their stats a few years ago when KBO offense was down overall. It's not out of the question that they could see comparable success.

I was convinced last off season from your annual post that the Jays should make a run at Seung-hwan Oh. Saw his videos and he had that one unhittable pitch and St. Louis grabs him for cheap and he was lights out this year and eventually became their closer. I just wish the Jays at least kick tires on some of these guys but it sometimes looks like they just ignore them.

[North_of_Border]

1B- Eric Thames.

Sign him already. The guy will be cheap. And he is a Beast ever since he left the MLB. Looking to make a comeback.

Do it. !!!!

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[Patman]

1B- Eric Thames.

Sign him already. The guy will be cheap. And he is a Beast ever since he left the MLB. Looking to make a comeback.

Do it. !!!!

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He won't play 1st in the bigs, and his bat is not good enough to DH. He'd bat at the bottom third of the order for us. That's a waste for someone who won't be playing the field.

[Wo1verine]

Thames most def on the steroids - He's turned into an absolute beast physically.

[CPT]

He's tested in Korea and other guys have been busted, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

I also think he's a much better player than people remember. He's only now 30, having spent his prime in the KBO. I think he could play 1B, though his bat may still not be good enough there.

Unless there's something mechanically preventing him from hitting MLB pitching, even the .400 point drop in OPS on the low end of guys coming from KBO to MLB would put him in the .750-800 range, which is certainly a useful player. And he could be better. Most guys coming from the KBO have outperformed that measure.

I don't know if he's the best fit for the Jays, but I think he can play in the league.

[CPT]

Thames and Kim Kwang-hyun signed today, so it's really just the thread title man and maybe Hwang Jae-gyun (3B trying to convince teams he can play anywhere) trying to make the bigs now.

[Hoopstarr]

Thames most def on the steroids - He's turned into an absolute beast physically.

He always was a beast physically.

[Schad]

Thames most def on the steroids - He's turned into an absolute beast physically.

He always was a beast physically.

To the extent that it almost derailed his career. He had injury problems in college and his first years in the minors, which he blamed on inflexibility resulting from his weightlifting. He then took up yoga, slimmed down a bit, and then hit a bit of a wall because he was losing mass. So he bulked up again, only with more yoga.

[Wo1verine]

Thames most def on the steroids - He's turned into an absolute beast physically.

He always was a beast physically.

Korea looked like a different level.

[super_balls]

Thames most def on the steroids - He's turned into an absolute beast physically.

He always was a beast physically.

Korea looked like a different level.

Holy ****

[agk47]

Reminds me of jorge soler and puig when they first came over. Puig looked straight up like terrell owens in his football style recruitment videos.


....no wonder they both suck haha

[North_of_Border]

I think Thames is gonna be the bargain of the offseason. He is gonna surprise many. I wish we took a flyer on him instead of say Morales or Smoak. Any way good luck to him and the Brewers.

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