[Yonhap News Photo]
South Korean star player and third baseman Hwang Jae-gyun has secured a chance to become a US major leaguer by signing a one-year contract with the San Francisco Giants.
Hwang's agency, GSI, said the 29-year-old signed a "split" contract with San Francisco. He would get 1.5 million US dollars if he makes the 25-man major league roster after spring training, and he can also make up to $1.6 million in incentives.
Hwang, who was traded to the Lotte Giants in 2010, had his best season last year with a .335/.394/.570 line, 27 home runs, 113 RBIs and 25 steals. He played for the national team at the 2014 Asian Games to win a gold medal.
"I'm very happy and excited because I earned a chance to play in the Major League. Playing in the league was my childhood dream," he said in a statement released by GSI.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a veteran scout with the Giants began to take more serious interest in Hwang in 2014 and started viewing him as a viable utility man or a backup infielder in the majors.
He became eligible for the posting after that season, meaning he could put himself up for an MLB-wide silent auction for teams to submit bids for exclusive contract talks with him. No club put in a bid, however, and Hwang was forced to lick his wounds and return to Lotte for at least another year, Yonhap said.
Joe Salermo, director of the Giants' international operations, contacted Hwang's camp before the player held his Florida showcase in November, saying the Giants were not only interested in seeing Hwang take batting practice and infield grounders but also meeting him away from the field, Yonhap said.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
