The Minnesota Twins don't necessarily need to add a first baseman. As of now, it looks like Royce Lewis will be Minnesota's Opening Day first baseman. However, the Twins might consider trading the 2017 first-overall pick this offseason due to his recent struggles. Even if Minnesota wants to keep Lewis for now, adding another first baseman would be wise. Lewis can also play second base, and Kody Clemens can play several positions.
A new potential first base target for Minnesota has emerged. According to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, 33-year-old Korean Baseball Organization star first baseman/outfielder Ja-Wook Koo has hired Jaron Long of Mako Corp. to represent him and is looking to sign with an MLB team. Koo has 12 years of KBO experience and just won the Korean Series MVP Award with the Samsung Lions.
Koo slashed .371/.458./.581 with 15 home runs, 31 doubles, six triples and 102 RBI over 114 games with the Lions this season. Koo, who is 6'2", had a 14.3% strikeout rate and a 13.3% walk rate this year. He has spent his entire career with the Lions, hitting .322/.392/.518 with 201 home runs, 374 doubles, 64 triples, 984 RBI and 150 stolen bases in 1,466 games.
Because of his age, Koo will likely have to settle for a one-year MLB deal. He might even have to sign a minor-league contract. If the first baseman/outfielder gets interest only as a minor-league signing, he might change his mind and stay in the KBO.
Will potential Twins offseason target Ja-Wook Koo succeed in MLB?
The KBO competition is similar to the MLB minor leagues. Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball is more competitive, so while Koo's numbers are impressive, it's hard to know whether they would translate to MLB success.
For example, the Twins signed KBO superstar ByungHo Park to a four-year, $12 million contract in the 2015-16 offseason. In the 2015 KBO season, Park hit .343/.436/.714 with 53 home runs and 146 RBI over 140 games. Park ended up playing just one season with the Twins, hitting .191/.275/.409 over 62 games. After spending the entire 2017 season at Triple-A Rochester, Park returned to the KBO. Park returned to star status after going back to the KBO. He recently finished his Korean baseball career with 382 home runs and 1,143 RBI.
Obviously, Koo could be better than Park in MLB, but Park's story is still a cautionary tale for teams interested in Koo. Minnesota should consider signing Koo to a low-cost, one-year deal, but the team might be better off adding an established MLB veteran first baseman like Ty France or Paul Goldschmidt.
Add us as a preferred source on Google