*This content was translated by AI.
Following Murakami Munetaka (26, Chicago White Sox), who is considered the best hitters in the Japanese professional baseball (NPB), Okamoto Kazuma (30) also signed with the Toronto Blue Jays for an amount far below the contract size of Lee Jung-hoo (28, San Francisco Giants). As a result, attention is being paid to how great Lee Jung-hoo's contract was.
A number of local media, including the Major League's official website MLB.com , said on the 4th (Korea time), "Okamoto, a former member of the Yomiuri Giants, signed a contract with Toronto. The contract period is four years and the total amount is 60 million dollars (about 86.8 billion won). It is a contract that includes a down payment of $5 million, and there is no opt-out (a clause that can break the existing contract and become a free agent according to the player's will). Toronto's official announcement has not yet been made, but it left a greeting of "こんにちは (Konichiwa)" on the club's official SNS, hinting at Okamoto's contract.
As the news spread, attention is naturally focused on Lee Jung-hoo's contract. Lee Jung-hoo signed a six-year contract with San Francisco on the condition of $113 million (about 163.4 billion won) ahead of the 2024 season. Even Lee Jung-hoo is considered a very favorable contract for the player because he can be guaranteed all of the amount and has an opt-out clause that allows him to become an FA (Free Agent) again after the end of the 2027 season. On the other hand, Okamoto has no opt-out clause.
Prior to this, Murakami also remained at 30% of Lee Jung-hoo's ransom. On December 22 last year, Murakami was only worth $34 million (about 50.4 billion won) for two years with the Chicago White Sox. Even Murakami is two years younger than Lee Jung-hoo, but the conditions were not good. Although it is evaluated as having excellent slugging power, it seems that the evaluation that the defense is somewhat inferior, including hitting accuracy, has been hampered.
Okamoto is a batter who represents Yomiuri as well as Japanese baseball. Okamoto, who wore a Yomiuri uniform as the No. 1 rookie draft pick in 2014, has played 1,074 NPB games in 11 seasons since the 2015 season, hitting .277 (1,089 hits in 3,934 at-bats) with 248 home runs and 717 RBIs. He has won the Central League home run king three times (2020, 2021 and 2023 seasons). The defensive position can go back and forth between the third baseman and the first baseman. It was possible up to multiple positions, but Okamoto is exactly 53.1% of Lee Jung-hoo's contract size. He was a home run hitter who dominated Japan, but he managed to fill half of Lee Jung-hoo's amount.
As a result, Lee Jung-hoo proved once again that he is the "most valuable body" with virtually no comparison except Shohei Ohtani (a total of $700 million for 10 years of contract) among Asian batters. Japan's best hitters are stepping on the U.S. soil one after another, but the size of Lee Jung-hoo's contract is expected to be re-examined every time. It is also because professionals are evaluated by their annual salary, to be honest.
Lee Jung-hoo is quietly preparing for the 2026 season. As he actually played his first full-time major league in the 2025 season, he is looking at a better season.
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*This content was translated by AI.
