Korea's Jung Hoo Lee Posted amid Yankees, Padres Rumors in 2023 MLB Free Agency

Outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, one of the top stars in Korean baseball, was officially posted by the Kiwoom Heroes on Monday.

His 30-day negotiation window will open at 8 am ET on Dec. 5. Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres are among the teams linked to the 2022 KBO MVP.

Lee is known as one of the best hitters for average in all baseball leagues. He's a career .340 hitter over his seven KBO seasons and has never hit worse than .318 over a single year.

Power and speed are not elite facets of Lee's game. He hit a career-high 23 home runs during his 2022 MVP campaign but only has double-digit homers in one other season. His career high in steals is 13, and he's totaled 11 over the last two years.

Overall, Lee projects as a quality starter who can hit for average and play strong defense in center field. That's not the type of signing that transforms a team's offseason, but it's likely he'll play a vital role in the outfield wherever he goes.

The Yankees are in desperate need of contact hitting. New York finished 29th in team batting average last season, behind only the lowly Oakland Athletics, and had only two everyday players who hit above .250 (Gleyber Torres and Aaron Judge).

Even if Lee isn't as prolific as he was in the KBO, merely having a guy get on base at a regular clip would be a major boost for the Yankees.

The Padres' interest will likely depend on their ability to shed payroll this offseason. They're expected to unload some high-level stars in search of financial flexibility after their high-cost roster finished 82-80 in 2023.