Bill Brink had an article this morning in which he says that the agent of Korean shortstop Jung-Ho Kang is confident they will come to an agreement with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Alan Nero represents Kang and he called the negotiations very positive, saying that Neal Huntington has “tried very hard to basically come to the table with an offer”. The two sides have until January 20th to reach an agreement.
Initial contract estimates said that Kang and his agent were looking for a deal ranging from two to four years and $5-6 M per year, with a lower salary per year the longer the contract goes. Those totals would be on top of the $5,002,015 bid they put in to win his negotiating rights.
Inside the article, which I recommend checking out, Nero said that the Pirates weren’t the team showing the most interest, so it was surprising to him that they won the rights to negotiate with Kang. Tim Williams recently talked about where Kang could fit in with the Pirates in 2015 and beyond.
Gaby Sanchez has reached an agreement with the Rakuten Eagles of the Japanese Pacific League. He signed a one-year deal worth approximately $2.5 M, with a chance to make more through incentives. The Pirates non-tendered Sanchez on December 3rd, making him a free agent.
