*This content was translated by AI.
The San Francisco Giants have finally moved to reorganize the outfield. In fact, in order to move Lee Jung-hoo (28) to a corner outfielder, Harrison Bader (32) with a history of winning the "middle fielder Golden Glove" was recruited in a surprise move. It brought resources to save both Lee Jung-hoo and the team.
Local media, including Major League Baseball's official website MLB.com and The Athletic, signed a two-year contract with San Francisco and FA (Free Agent) outfielder Bader on the 27th (Korea Standard Time). The contract is worth a total of USD 20.5 million (about KRW 29.7 billion)," he said in unison.
In fact, San Francisco's weak outfield defense has been evaluated as a weakness all the time, and it has been pointed out that it needs to be improved quickly ahead of the 2026 season. In the end, the recruitment is a result of the club's leadership's strong will to improve the San Francisco outfield defense, which remained at the bottom of the league last season. Bader is a player who boasts an overwhelming range of defense among all major league outfielders with OAA (Outs Above Average, defensive indicators of how many outcounts he catches than the league average, and 0 averages) +76 since 2018. He is a player who contributes to the team as a defense, accounting for the top 92% of the OAA partial league in the 2025 season.
In particular, the outfield of left fielder Elliott Ramos (27), including Lee Jung-hoo, was evaluated as not stable at all. The local media were rather insistent. According to The Athletic, a sports media outlet, the total OAA recorded by Lee Jung-hoo and Ramos in the 2025 season reached -14. In particular, Lee Jung-hoo left an indicator of OAA-5, DRS (Defensive Run Saved) of -18, an indicator of how many points defenders blocked.
The Athletic, which continued to insist on recruiting center field, also said, "With Vader's recruitment, Lee Jung-hoo has laid the groundwork for moving to the corner. Lee Jung-hoo, who has strong shoulders, is likely to move to right field. According to Baseball Servant, a major league baseball statistics site, Lee Jung-hoo's throwing speed was in the top 91% of the major leagues.
Depending on the view, Lee Jung-hoo may have lost his position as a center fielder, but there is also a clear view that it is a measure to reduce the burden of defense considering the ability to attack. This means that the center field, which has a slightly wider range of defense, should ease the physical burden in the corners and focus more on hitting. Lee Jung-hoo has already experienced right field in the Kiwoom Heroes in the 2020 season.
In Korea, there is a view that Lee Jung-hoo gave up center field, but in the U.S., there is a welcome atmosphere. A U.S. fan welcomed Vader's recruitment, suggesting that Lee Jung-hoo is the first in strikeout rate, fifth in batting average, and sixth in scoring among right fielders who have played more than 400 at-bats in the 2025 season.
In the end, whether Lee Jung-hoo's position will be left field or right field is expected to be decided after spring camp and exhibition games. Attention is focusing on whether Lee Jung-hoo will be able to show a rebound in the corner outfield to clear away doubts about his defensive power surrounding him.
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*This content was translated by AI.
