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Kang Jung-ho, Pirates agree on four-year deal worth $16 million

January 12, 2015
Kang Jung-ho will be eligible to sign to an MLB team after the 2014 season is over.

Kang Jung-ho will be playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates this year.

South Korean shortstop Kang Jung-ho, 27, has reached an agreement with the Pittsburgh Pirates Monday. The deal is reportedly worth about$16 million over four years, according to ESPN. 

The Pirates won the silent auction with a bid of US$5,002,015 and received the exclusive rights to negotiate with Kang for 30 days, which would have expired on Jan. 20.

A source told ESPN MLB Insider Jim Bowden that the deal, which is pending a physical, also has an option for a fifth year.

The Nexen Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said Kang will leave for the U.S. city on Wednesday.

The Heroes posted Kang last month, after the slugging shortstop belted 40 home runs and drove in 117 runs in 117 games in the 2014 season. The home run and RBI totals were both single-season records by a shortstop in the KBO. Kang also batted a career-high .356 and had the league’s best on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) with 1.198.