Why is Major League Baseball focusing on Asia?
This winter's free agency period has seen a lot of interest in Asian players. Lee Jung-hoo signed a six-year, $113 million (14.72 billion won) deal with the San Francisco Giants. The Giants spent the most money ever on an Asian player, making Lee the winner of the KBO's MVP signing contest.
But that's not the end of the story for Asian players in the United States. On July 21, Japanese left-handed pitcher Yuki Matsui signed a four-year, $20.96 million contract with the San Diego Padres. Matsui went 2-3 with a 1.57 ERA and 39 saves in 59 regular-season games for the Rakuten Golden Eagles this year. The veteran pitcher has a 25-46 record with 76 saves and a 2.40 ERA in 236 games over 10 seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is also expected to find a team. One of the biggest names in free agency, Yamamoto has been receiving a lot of attention from local media in the United States. Even more so than Blake Snell, who won the National League Cy Young Award. In 172 career games, Yamamoto has a 70-29 record with a 1.82 ERA. He also won four pitching awards for the third straight year. Big-market teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and New York Yankees have shown great interest in Yamamoto, with local media predicting that his price tag could reach $300 million.
Major League Baseball is eager to sign Asian players. On the 21st, CBS Sports, an American sports media outlet, published an article titled "Why Major League Baseball Teams Should Scout Korean and Japanese Players".
In the past, playing in Korea or Japan didn't guarantee success in the major leagues. However, this is no longer the case. Major League Baseball teams now have plenty of quality data on Asian players, which they can use to predict whether a player will be successful in the big leagues.
According to CBS Sports, "Major League Baseball front offices have access to data on Asian players. It includes all the advanced metrics that Major League Baseball fans have become familiar with, such as turnover rate and bat speed. That data can then be plugged into algorithms and statistical models that predict performance, just like domestic players and prospects, to get an idea of how a player will perform." "It can erase doubts about a player," he said, citing the first reason major league clubs are looking at Asian players.
The second reason is the lower cost. Major League Baseball teams are able to acquire talented Asian players for a posting fee. "You don't have to give up a draft pick or lose a prospect to get a Korean or Japanese player," CBS Sports said.바카라사이트
The third reason is additional income. Asian players, like Shohei Ohtani, can bring in extra revenue for their clubs. According to CBS Sports, "The Dodgers could win 50 more games over the next decade with the addition of Ohtani. Plus, the Dodgers will make money just by having him. The Los Angeles Angels have earned between $10 million and $20 million in Otani-related sponsorships. Asian players such as Lee Jung-hoo and Yamamoto could earn as much, if not more, than Ohtani."
Finally, Major League Baseball teams are looking at Asian players because of the lack of big-name free agents. While there's a lot of demand from major league teams for big-name talent, there's not enough to go around, which is why CBS Sports believes we'll continue to see more Asian players coming to the United States. "South Korean reliever Ko Woo-seok and Japanese starting pitcher Naoyuki Uwasawa could be among those who sign with major league clubs," the outlet said.