Korean IF Kang reportedly to be posted today
KBO likely to post shortstop next week; Giants, A's, Mets are reported suitors
Korean shortstop Jung-Ho Kang will be posted by the Korean Baseball Organization today, according to FoxSports.com, and should draw plenty of interest.
Kang, 27, is a power-hitting shortstop who has spent the last seven seasons playing for the Nexen Heroes. He's coming off a career year in which he hit .354 with 39 home runs, 115 RBIs and a 1.189 OPS in 116 games.
While those numbers are eye-popping, Korea professional baseball is an extremely offensive environment; teams averaged 5.7 runs per game last season, compared to Major League Baseball's 4.1 mark.
Kang is a career .298/.382/.502 hitter with four seasons of 20-plus homers. He also stole a career-high 21 bases in 2012, but that number dipped to three last season.
Although the shortstop market is thin, many clubs view Kang as a second baseman. CBS Sports reported Monday that the Mets, Giants and A's are interested in the infielder.
The Mets and A's both need middle-infield help, while the CBS Sports report speculates the Giants could move Joe Panik to third (replacing Pablo Sandoval) and put Kang at second.