Lee Jung-hoo, 26, of San Francisco, received a surprise before an exhibition game against Seattle on Nov. 11 (KST). He met with Seattle special adviser Ichiro Suzuki, his idol and role model in his baseball career. He had an arranger. It was San Francisco manager Bob Melvin.
Melvin had started his managerial career in Seattle, where Ichiro was one of the best players of his time. When Melvin heard that Ichiro was Lee’s idol, he took the time to organize this day. Originally, it was a split-squad day, with San Francisco playing two games, and Melvin was supposed to be coaching his players at home, but instead, he made time to sit down with Ichiro on the road. A perk was a perk.
Unlike the other main players, Lee was not playing at home but on the road, so the club’s consideration for him was very touching. He proved himself to be a valuable asset. San Francisco signed Lee to a six-year, $113 million contract before the season. It was a deal that exceeded expectations. When you add in the postseason money for Kiwoom, the total investment is more than $130 million. It’s an investment that wouldn’t have been made without some kind of conviction.
San Francisco was concerned with more than just salary. Compared to other players, they also provided generous airfare between the US and South Korea. He was reportedly given eight tickets per year, including first class and business class. This was also an extravagance. Other than that, they also pay close attention to his living conditions. You can see how much they pamper Lee Jung-hoo.
But the biggest story of the day in San Francisco wasn’t just the meeting between Lee and Ichiro. On Tuesday, the Giants claimed JD Davis off waivers, who was expected to be the team’s starting third baseman. The Giants recently signed All-Star third baseman Matt Chapman to a three-year deal. Davis’ role is now ambiguous. He still has some offensive upside, so you can keep him on your roster. There”s also a designated hitter slot in case of injury during the season.
Still, the fact that San Francisco waived Davis and then released him unconditionally on Dec. 12 after the waiver process was complete demonstrated the cold world of Major League Baseball business. Davis was in a salary arbitration after he and the club couldn’t agree on a salary before the season. Davis wanted $6.9 million and the team offered $6.55 million. The difference was only $350,000, but they couldn’t come to an agreement and the case went to court. Davis was the winner.
San Francisco took advantage of a loophole in the system. It wasn’t bullying, but it was the system. If a player is released within the first 15 days of the season, the team pays him 45 days’ salary. But if you release him before the season, you only have to 토토 pay him 30 days’ salary. Davis’ 30-day salary is about $1.1 million. San Francisco rushed to release Davis in light of this, leaving him with a salary of about $5.8 million. He could sign with another team later, but it’s too much of a loss.
According to local media reports, San Francisco players are upset about Davis’ release. They feel that the club has gone too far. Davis”s agent, Matt Hanaford, also criticizes the Giants for not negotiating properly. They only made one offer before the deadline for salary adjustments. On the other hand, general manager Farhan Zaidi countered that the team didn’t stick to its offer.
For Davis, it was cruel. His teammates complained about this cruelty because it is the situation of most players. There aren’t many players like Lee who have six years of guaranteed money and minor league veto power. Many players live their lives in fear of being released at any moment. It’s a brutal business, and there’s no way Lee, who was in the same clubhouse, didn’t know that. Good baseball is power.