Brewers bidding on 3B Jae-Gyun Hwang? (Latest: nobody placed a bid)

[lcbj68c]

I'm not overly excited about a 28yo being Stearns long-term solution at 3b. Would any of you throw any money at this guy in the international market?

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/11/jae-gyun-hwang-posted-kbo.html

 

KBO’s Lotte Giants To Post Jae-Gyun Hwang

 

By Steve Adams | November 25, 2015 at 7:42pm CST

 

 

TODAY: Hwang will actually be posted on the 30th, Han Lee of Global Sporting Integration tweets. Lotte is pushing back the date to accommodate the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

 

YESTERDAY: The Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization will post third baseman Jae-gyun Hwang tomorrow, reports Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Major League teams will have one week to submit blind bids on Hwang, and Lotte will then have the right to accept the highest bid or retain Hwang for the 2016 season. Should the team accept a bid, Hwang’s representatives at ACES would have 30 days to negotiate a contract with the winning MLB club.

 

Jae-gyun Hwang

 

Hwang, 28, is coming off a breakout year in KBO that saw the right-handed hitter bat .290/.350/.521 with a career-best 26 home runs (plus a solid effort in the Premier 12 Tournament). While some of the uptick in homers is attributable to a recent increase in the number of games in the KBO’s regular season, Hwang’s per-plate-appearance rate still markedly outpaces his previous best. That he won this year’s KBO home run derby is another potential point in favor of his increased power.

 

Though KBO is a notoriously hitter-friendly environment, Hwang’s output does look to be solid on paper at least. Another factor he has working in his favor is that he’s played in every game dating back to the 2011 season, so his agents will attempt to market him as a durable player in the midst of his physical prime at a time when the domestic free-agent market for third basemen is thin. David Freese represents perhaps the lone option to serve as a regular third baseman, although the trade market bears potential candidates such as Trevor Plouffe, Luis Valbuena, Jed Lowrie and Jedd Gyorko, among others. Hwang is a converted shortstop, but he profiles strictly as a third base option at this point (Those interested in seeing some video footage of Hwang can refer to a pair of recent highlight reels compiled by the folks at Global Sporting Integration).

 

Hwang will be a true free agent next offseason, which would allow him to pursue a Major League opportunity without the restrictions of the posting system. That figures to add a bit of pressure to the Giants to accept a bid — assuming a reasonable one is submitted — as they’ll be left with no compensation if he enjoys another solid year and jumps to either Major League Baseball or Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball next offseason.

 

Lotte recently posted outfielder Ah-seop Son, but the 27-year-old didn’t draw a bid from MLB clubs, thereby allowing the team to post Hwang. (KBO only permits teams to post one player at a time and accept a bid on one player per offseason.) The Giants will again have the option of posting him next offseason should it see fit, as Son is not a free agent until after the 2017 campaign.

 

Passan recently noted that some execs prefer Hwang’s ceiling to Son’s more consistent track record, adding that Hwang bulked up to about 210 pounds from his previously listed weight of 195 pounds last winter, perhaps explaining some of the increase in power. It remains to be seen if that preference will lead to a notable bid on Hwang, though he’s at a much more scarce position than his teammate, Son, who was up against a reasonably well-stocked outfield market. The Braves, Indians, Angels, White Sox and Brewers are among the clubs that could be seeking some long-term help at the hot corner.

[pacopete4]

Why was this post titled as if we were in the bidding war? Either way, it's good to keep all options on the table.

[jerichoholicninja]

Why not take a chance? He's in his prime. He'll be cheaper than any worthwhile free agent. He won't cost any prospects or a draft pick. Any 3B currently in the system is still years away so he's not blocking anyone.

[MrTPlush]

Total speculation. No actual news here.

 

Realistically though it all depends on the price. How could anyone really comment unless we know that price. I'd role the dice depending on the price. If he breaks out here we can trade him for a big prospect load.

[Devinep]

His price will probably depend on Park's. But I like the idea of going after him. He's still young and a relatively low risk. The gamble is a way better idea than wasting 3B with Herrera types this year and possibly next

[Jenkins5]

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/25231897/look-jae-gyun-hwang-unleashes-mother-of-all-bat-flips-after-hr

 

After you watch this, how could you not want him on the Brewers. Jose Bautista has absolutely nothing on Gyun-Hwang. Hoenstly, he has good size, could hit 10-15 HRs while probably giving you a solid .260/.340/.400. Most of Japanese players are usually strong defenders. He is in his prime. He doesn't need to be the future. If he gives you 2-3 years of consistent baseball the way Aoki did, that is a win.

[JohnBriggs12]

Why not take a chance? He's in his prime. He'll be cheaper than any worthwhile free agent. He won't cost any prospects or a draft pick. Any 3B currently in the system is still years away so he's not blocking anyone.

 

He'd be blocking Villar, the guy they just traded for, not to mention Perez, both of whom are 24 and if you put them in the KBO, they'd likely put up huge numbers.

[pacopete4]

Why not take a chance? He's in his prime. He'll be cheaper than any worthwhile free agent. He won't cost any prospects or a draft pick. Any 3B currently in the system is still years away so he's not blocking anyone.

 

He'd be blocking Villar, the guy they just traded for, not to mention Perez, both of whom are 24 and if you put them in the KBO, they'd likely put up huge numbers.

 

 

Depends on what they do with Scooter and Segura definitely. If they plan to move on from those guys or even just one, signing this guy could be a possibility. Even as is. Villar might be a fill in all around the diamond and signing this guy still could be a possibility.

[jerichoholicninja]

Why not take a chance? He's in his prime. He'll be cheaper than any worthwhile free agent. He won't cost any prospects or a draft pick. Any 3B currently in the system is still years away so he's not blocking anyone.

 

He'd be blocking Villar, the guy they just traded for, not to mention Perez, both of whom are 24 and if you put them in the KBO, they'd likely put up huge numbers.

 

Villar is going to be playing all over the place and I have no problem with someone blocking his career .650 OPS from getting AB's.

[pacopete4]

Villar is going to be playing all over the place and I have no problem with someone blocking his career .650 OPS from getting AB's.

 

Carlos Gomez supported an OPS of .654 in his first 1600+ plate appearances and then turned into one of the best CF's in the game. (.592/.657/.623/.655/.679) and the last number is at age 25.

 

Jonathan Villar has posted an OPS of .653 through his first three big league seasons (658 PA's) and in his last season he OPS'd .752 at the age of 24 (only 128 PA's).

 

Villar is a great guy to be had for the Brewers. Could definitely be a diamond in the rough that Gomez was for them. It's so easy to toss out these number and disregard these players but this guy has a chance to be a very good IF for a team and I'm glad it's the Brewers. But to block his AB's would probably be one of the dumbest things the Brewers could do. Not saying he needs to be penciled in as the Brewers 3B but he should be starting at least 5 of every 6 games.

[bill hAll Star]

I come down on both sides with Villar. I like his buy-low potential, but he'll get plenty of reps at 2B/SS/3B. If they want to bring in a "starting" 3B, I don't think anyone they get is going to be that good. Given that Scooter needs a platoon-mate, Segura has minimal upside left, and the 3B will not be that exciting - Villar will get his ABs.

 

Gomez platooned for awhile and was just fine.

[jerichoholicninja]

Villar is going to be playing all over the place and I have no problem with someone blocking his career .650 OPS from getting AB's.

 

Carlos Gomez supported an OPS of .654 in his first 1600+ plate appearances and then turned into one of the best CF's in the game. (.592/.657/.623/.655/.679) and the last number is at age 25.

 

Jonathan Villar has posted an OPS of .653 through his first three big league seasons (658 PA's) and in his last season he OPS'd .752 at the age of 24 (only 128 PA's).

 

Villar is a great guy to be had for the Brewers. Could definitely be a diamond in the rough that Gomez was for them. It's so easy to toss out these number and disregard these players but this guy has a chance to be a very good IF for a team and I'm glad it's the Brewers. But to block his AB's would probably be one of the dumbest things the Brewers could do. Not saying he needs to be penciled in as the Brewers 3B but he should be starting at least 5 of every 6 games.

 

Can we stop comparing every young player who has bad major league numbers to Carlos Gomez? This is the same argument many people were making about Hernan Perez.

 

Segura had a .729 OPS after his first two major league seasons. It's been .615 since. That argument works both ways.

[pacopete4]

Villar is going to be playing all over the place and I have no problem with someone blocking his career .650 OPS from getting AB's.

 

Carlos Gomez supported an OPS of .654 in his first 1600+ plate appearances and then turned into one of the best CF's in the game. (.592/.657/.623/.655/.679) and the last number is at age 25.

 

Jonathan Villar has posted an OPS of .653 through his first three big league seasons (658 PA's) and in his last season he OPS'd .752 at the age of 24 (only 128 PA's).

 

Villar is a great guy to be had for the Brewers. Could definitely be a diamond in the rough that Gomez was for them. It's so easy to toss out these number and disregard these players but this guy has a chance to be a very good IF for a team and I'm glad it's the Brewers. But to block his AB's would probably be one of the dumbest things the Brewers could do. Not saying he needs to be penciled in as the Brewers 3B but he should be starting at least 5 of every 6 games.

 

Can we stop comparing every young player who has bad major league numbers to Carlos Gomez? This is the same argument many people were making about Hernan Perez.

 

Segura had a .729 OPS after his first two major league seasons. It's been .615 since. That argument works both ways.

 

It's not the argument that he IS going to be a Gomez but the fact that if he's not given at bats and regular at bats, we'll never actually know how good he can become. If he was 26-27 already fine, play others. But not at 24 when he's already shown improvements.

[brewmann04]

it would not suprise me to see the crew put in a bid they have done it in the past hopefully will might win one.

[JohnBriggs12]

I come down on both sides with Villar. I like his buy-low potential, but he'll get plenty of reps at 2B/SS/3B. If they want to bring in a "starting" 3B, I don't think anyone they get is going to be that good. Given that Scooter needs a platoon-mate, Segura has minimal upside left, and the 3B will not be that exciting - Villar will get his ABs.

 

Gomez platooned for awhile and was just fine.

 

Villar to 2B and Perez playing 3B vs. LHP is how I'd go. Though it's still laughable to me how last year they were going to play Scooter full time and ended up giving him one start all year against a LHP. Gennett destroyed LHP in his stint in AAA last year, and that apparently meant nothing.

 

Eventually between Villar and Perez, one will emerge as an everyday option at 3B.

[bill hAll Star]

I come down on both sides with Villar. I like his buy-low potential, but he'll get plenty of reps at 2B/SS/3B. If they want to bring in a "starting" 3B, I don't think anyone they get is going to be that good. Given that Scooter needs a platoon-mate, Segura has minimal upside left, and the 3B will not be that exciting - Villar will get his ABs.

 

Gomez platooned for awhile and was just fine.

 

Villar to 2B and Perez playing 3B vs. LHP is how I'd go. Though it's still laughable to me how last year they were going to play Scooter full time and ended up giving him one start all year against a LHP. Gennett destroyed LHP in his stint in AAA last year, and that apparently meant nothing.

 

He's got a massive sample size of not hitting lefties well. I'm OK with this. Colorado Springs can do crazy things to small sample sizes.

[MrTPlush]

Though it's still laughable to me how last year they were going to play Scooter full time and ended up giving him one start all year against a LHP. Gennett destroyed LHP in his stint in AAA last year, and that apparently meant nothing.

 

That was the plan until Scooter Gennett started the year so bad beach balls would have probably been hard to hit for him. Gennett had a grand 32 at-bats vs. LHP down in AAA...that is nothing. If he would have started the year hitting RHP maybe then the Brewers would have had some confidence.

[MrTPlush]

I know our infield is ridiculously filled with a ton of fringe guys, but I would be kind of mad if the Brewers didn't put in a bid. I mean why not? For the price Park was just had for why not gamble even less on this guy if he takes it?

[reillymcshane]

I know our infield is ridiculously filled with a ton of fringe guys, but I would be kind of mad if the Brewers didn't put in a bid. I mean why not? For the price Park was just had for why not gamble even less on this guy if he takes it?

If the club thinks he can be a decent player, I agree. Why not go for him. Even if he can just be an average 3B, that's a pretty solid player to have (especially considering the alternatives). It's not like he's blocking a big time player, and it immediately fills a hole in the major league team.

[reillymcshane]

No one put in a bid for Hwang.

[jerichoholicninja]

Wow. Two guys and zero bids. Can't believe some team didn't throw a $1 or 2 million bid at either just because.

[MrTPlush]

That is a shame. I wonder if teams knew he wouldn't accept a low contract offer? Sounded like a fringy starter, but a foreign gamble none the less. Probably can make more staying in Korea. Versatility probably hurt him too.