‘Devil’ Made Lee Jung-hoo’s Legs Relaxed, VVIP Customers Like Toronto… 261.4 Billion Is Enough?

Among the players with Boras as an agent, Lee Jung-hoo signed the first $100 million contract this offseason. He signed with the San Francisco Giants for six years and $113 million, the largest contract ever signed by a Korean player when he entered the Major League.

He thus received exceptional treatment that no one had anticipated. Major local media outlets estimated Lee’s ransom to be between 50 million U.S. dollars to 60 million dollars. ESPN and The Athletic, which boast accuracy, predicted Lee’s contract to be worth 63 million dollars for five years and 56 million dollars for four years, respectively. In reality, the price is twice as high.

As big market clubs jumped into the scramble for Lee Jung-hoo, the price soared. Still, we can’t help but mention Boras’ brilliant negotiation skills.

Lee Jung-hoo said in an interview at Incheon International Airport on the 19th (Korea time), “San Francisco’s first offer was this condition. When I first heard the price, my leg was loosened.” This is a contract that even the parties did not imagine.

The next “client” of Boras, who succeeded in “sales” after Lee Jung-hoo, is Cody Bellinger, considered the biggest fish in the FA market. Coincidentally, the Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs, who had their eyes on Lee Jung-hoo, are considered strong destinations for Bellinger.

Bellinger is in a very different situation from Lee Jung-hoo. For Boras, he is more difficult to persuade than Lee Jung-hoo. After being named the National League MVP by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019, he suffered a severe slump for two years due to a shoulder injury, and was revived in the Chicago Cubs this year, but clubs are raising concerns that he is a “season flash.”

However, critics say that Bellinger, who posted a batting average of 0.307 with 26 homers, 97 RBIs and 0.881 OPS in 130 games this year, has regained his power in 2019 during the MVP season. Bellinger is an all-weather player with both offense and defense like Lee Jung-hoo. He won the Gold Glove Award as an outfielder in 2019, and has the mobility to steal double digits at any time. In particular, the center fielder is among the best in the Major League.

He is more likely to wear a Toronto uniform than the Cubs. ESPN said in an article titled “Who will hold Slugger Cody Bellinger in his arms?” on the 20th, “If Bellinger is not particularly reluctant to play for Toronto, he has an advantage over the Cubs in many ways.”

In many ways, Toronto is a strong team that has advanced to the postseason for the past two consecutive years. Second, Toronto’s main hitters, such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Beau Bichette and George Springer, are all right-handed. This was the same with the Yankees, which led to the trade of Juan Soto. Third, the Cubs are still in rebuilding mode. There is little justification for spending too much money on a player.

A National League official told ESPN, “The Cubs are not a team that spends a lot of money on a player until they reach the age of 40. The Blue Jays are no different, but they are desperate to complete their roster. They will match the price that Bellinger wants.” 에볼루션 바카라사이트

ESPN reported, “If the Blue Jays bring in Bellinger, the lineup will be perfect, but the Cubs will have a gap of that.” The Cubs will not lose him only if they change their stance or accept a small amount of Bellinger. “The Cubs had the perfect Bellinger this year. If they want to catch Bellinger, they will have to loosen their belts,” Boras said. This means that the Cubs will not beat Toronto in the money fight.

Then, how much would Bellinger want? ESPN reported, “Boras usually mentions more than 300 million dollars for superstar players, but there is no suggestion that Bellinger should be paid that much,” adding, “According to sources familiar with Bellinger’s FA negotiations, Bellinger is aiming for more than 200 million dollars.”

Boras recently let his VIP client join Toronto. It is Ryu Hyun-jin. ESPN reported, “The Blue Jays recently signed a long-term contract with Boras’ client. Ryu Hyun-jin signed a four-year, 80-million-dollar contract with Toronto at the end of 2019. On the other hand, the Cubs are not entering such a market under the rule of owner Tom Ricketts. “Boras and Ricketts are not close enough to reach an agreement on important issues over the phone.” Conversely, it means that Toronto and Boras have a good relationship.