5 Players Who Could Replace A Legend

Mandatory Credit: zimbio.com

Jung-Ho Kang

Age: 27; Bats/Throws: Right/Right; Career Numbers: .299 batting average, 99 HR, 428 RBI (Korean Baseball Organization)

What’s an off-season without throwing an unknown wildcard of intrigue into the mix? Last season it was pitcher Masahiro Tanaka from Japan and his emergence into the baseball world caused an off-season string of rumors and speculation that ultimately ended with the superstar putting on pinstripes. This season it’s shortstop Jung-Ho Kang, who will be posted by his team over in Korea and there are a lot of interested teams.

Kang batted .360 with 38 homers and 107 RBI while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense in 2014. Kang would fit well within a Yankees team in desperate team of getting younger, and his offense is exactly what the organization needs. However, the KBO is a very hitter-friendly league, similar to the PCL in Triple-A, and no position player has ever made the transition from Korea to Major League Baseball and Kang would have that hill to climb.

Also, it’s uncertain how much money Kang will garner as there is no previous contract to use as an example. The Yankees would have to bid aggressively with his team before even being able to negotiate with him (The KBO still operates under the old posting system). With so many shortstops available on the open market, it may be a smarter decision to just swipe up a proven ball player instead of having to deal with what could be an uphill battle.