PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Jung Ho Kang isn’t going anywhere.
The South Korean baseball player will be back in a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform in 2019. Earlier today, the club announced Kang’s signing to the upcoming squad. Recently, Kang was a free agent for a total of eight days, being released by the Pirates on Oct. 31. However, the Pirates had other plans, bringing him back on a one-year deal.
Kang only saw action on the baseball diamond in three games this season.
He spent a majority of the season back in South Korea, where he had trouble obtaining a visa due to three separate DUI-related incidents. However, in his return, he record his first hit since Oct. 2, 2016, on a single.
Kang originally came to the Pirates in 2015, signing a four-year, $11 million, deal on Jan. 16. His accomplishments include being named the National League Rookie of the Month in July 2015.
In a Pirates uniform for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Kang made 837 plate appearances in 229 games. In two seasons, Kang recorded 120 RBIs, 204 hits and 36 home runs.
Internationally, Kang is a two-time gold medalist in the Asian Games with South Korea.
In a statement on the Pirates website, Neal Huntington said that Kang has “appropriately” handled himself off of the field and is appreciative of his “hard work” to get back in action.
“We feel that bringing Jung Ho back in 2019 will make us better as he will have the ability to make a positive impact on our lineup,” Huntington said. “Competition and options are important to any organization and this signing provides us with both.”
According to MLB reporter Adam Berry, Kang’s deal is worth $3 million, plus a $2.5 in performance bonuses.
Earlier we caught up with Jung Ho to talk about his return to the Bucs. pic.twitter.com/mJjt1m6UvJ
— Pirates (@Pirates) November 8, 2018
PHOTO: Jung Ho Kang of the Pittsburgh Pirates has signed a one-year contract with the team, bringing himself back from legal woes to the baseball diamond. Photo courtesy of Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press.
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