How much is the down payment for Shim Jun-seok, who signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates of the Major League Baseball? Will it be possible to set the record for the best Korean player ever to advance to the major leagues?
On the 16th (Korean time), MLB.com, the official homepage of Major League Baseball, introduced the contract news of international prospects and announced that Pittsburgh had agreed to a contract with Shim Jun-seok. The contract amount was not disclosed. A physical examination is in progress, so final confirmation will have to wait.
MLB.com reported the contracts of the top 50 international prospects in the MLB pipeline, and the contract money of some players was disclosed. Catcher Ethan Salas (Venezuela), number one in the prospect rankings, signed a contract with the San Diego Padres for a whopping $5.6 million (approximately 6.9 billion won).
Brandon Maya (Cuba, outfielder), 토토사이트 ninth ahead of Shim Jun-seok, who is ranked 10th in the prospect list, signed a contract with the New York Yankees for $4.4 million. Ariel Castro (Cuba, outfielder), ranked 11th behind Shim Jun-seok, signed a contract with Minnesota for $2.5 million.
The 30 major league teams have limits on international amateur signings. Apart from the talent of the player and the ranking of prospects, major league clubs must appropriately allocate the down payment according to the number of international amateur contracts for one year.
Depending on the rules, there are slight differences between clubs, but Pittsburgh has a deposit limit of $5,825,500. Total amount used for international amateur contracts from 16 January to 16 December.
The Cubs, with a contract cap of $5,284,000, signed three players, No. 6 Dunike Valdez (Dominica, shortstop), No. 14 Ludwig Espinoza (Venezuela, shortstop) and No. 19 Angel Cepeda (Dominica, shortstop) for $2.7 million each , $1.5 million, offered $1 million. The Cubs now have only $84,000 left on their down payment limit. On the other hand, San Diego almost went all-in with the $5,825,500 limit to Salas, who ranked No. 1.
Following Shim Jun-seok, Pittsburgh signed 26th Raymond Mola (Dominica, outfielder). Mola’s down payment was also not disclosed. Shim Jun-seok seems likely to receive more than 2 million dollars. The highest contract payment among Korean players who have ever entered the major leagues is the $2.25 million Kim Byung-hyun received when he signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
MLB.com said, “Shim Jun-seok, the best prospect in Korea, throws a fastball that can hit 100 mph and consistently forms 94-96 mph. He has a true 12-6 curveball and shows great command on all his pitches. In addition, Shim Jun-seok, who has a solid body and size, received many compliments for his neat arm movements and motor skills.”
“It’s also worth noting that his slider and changeup are getting better and he could eventually develop into a plus pitch in the future. Since he was in his early teens, he has been likened to a young Park Chan-ho for his fastball, pose, and appearance,” he added.