Yankees have also apparently signed a middle reliever from Korea:
Koo Dae-Sung
At 35, Korean pitcher lands job with Yankees
December 10, 2004 ㅡ For many South Korean baseball players, going to the major leagues is a dream come true, and playing for the New York Yankees would be even more fulfiling.
At age 35, Koo Dae-sung, a left- handed starting pitcher for most of his career, is only a minor step away from achieving both daunting tasks.
Douglas Cho, Koo's agent, revealed yesterday the New York Yankees had agreed on the duration of a contract and salary and were fine-tuning the final details of a contract with Koo.
Koo's agent said an official announcement would be made today. Koo and his agent left the country Saturday for the United States and met with Yankees officials in Tampa Bay, Fla., to discuss details.
Although exact details of the contract have not been released, experts say it's probably a two-year deal worth $3 to $4 million.
Koo repeatedly said he would not play for the Yankees if he had to go through the minor leagues first because of his age. Koo is expected to come out of the bullpen as a reliever and handle left-handed hitters.
Last year, the Korea Baseball Organization said Koo had the second-best record for left-handed pitchers in 20 years.
While Koo is the first Korean player to wear a Yankees uniform, he will become the second Korean baseball player entering the major leagues after playing professional baseball in Korea and Japan.
Retired pitcher Lee Sang-hoon, who had a stint with the Boston Red Sox, was the first player to do so.
After Park Chan-ho, who was the first Korean to play in the major leagues for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1994, Koo is the 28th player to enter the U.S. professional leagues.
Koo entered the Korean professional baseball league in 1993 pitching for the Hanwha Eagles.
In his seven years with the Eagles, he accumulated a record of 61 wins and 58 losses with 151 saves and an overall ERA of 2.79.
In his four years with the Orix Bluewaves of Japan, he picked up 24 wins but 34 losses, netting him a 3.75 ERA