The Giants are showing “continued interest” in standout KBO infielder Jae-Gyun Hwang, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network
#SFGiants showing continued interest in Korean free-agent infielder Jae-gyun Hwang, source says. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 3, 2017
The Korean League star, 29, has been a member of the Giants – the Lotte Giants that is – since 2010, and held a showcase in the fall. Primarily a third baseman, Hwang is coming off a strong 2016 season, hitting 27 home runs for the second consecutive year, while making a number of spectacular defensive plays. Hwang’s strikeout totals also fell from the previous season, and he posted an impressive line of .335/.394/.570.
While no one would argue that those numbers will translate directly to MLB, Hwang would likely be brought in as a reserve infielder with high upside, at a reasonable rate. The Giants are currently in the process of adding reinforcements on the cheap, considering they are already over the luxury-tax limit for the third consecutive season.
Free agents Luis Valbuena and Trevor Plouffe are the two top third basemen currently on the open market. White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier is also reportedly available via trade.
Here’s a highlight video of Hwang from his time in the Korean league.