Twins Have Deal With Byung Ho Park

$3 million a year?

Nick Punto made $4 million in 2009.

Something doesn't add up.

Do both sides expect mediocrity?

 

I guess you add on the signing fee and it comes to $6 mill a year, but still ...

Remember, he was locked into negotiating with only the Twins.  Very hard to get a player-friendly deal under those circumstances.

I expect if Korean players will be coming over here regularly, we will soon see reforms of their posting system, much like we have seen with Japan.

Five years ago, the Twins signed Tsuyoshi Nishioka to a similar three-year, $9.25 million deal despite his being a far less accomplished player in Japan.

"Far less accomplished"?  These things from Nishioka's Wikipedia page sound like accomplishments (although I am admittedly unsure of "2010 NPB 27 Slug prize record"):

• 2× Japan Series champion (2005, 2010)
• 5× NPB All-Star (2005–2008, 2010)
• 3× NPB Best Nine Award (2005, 2007, 2010)
• 3× NPB Golden Glove Award (2005, 2007, 2010)
• 2× NPB stolen base leader (2005–2006)
• 2010 NPB batting champion
• 2010 NPB safe hit champion
• 2010 NPB 27 Slug prize record

He was also a 26 year old shortstop at the time.

Compared to 29 year old 1B Park's Wikipedia accomplishments:

• 2× KBO MVP (2012–2013)
• 3× KBO Golden Glove Award (2012–2014)
• 4× KBO Home Run title (2012–2015)
• 4× KBO RBI title (2012–2015)
• 2× KBO Slugging Percentage title (2012–2013)
• 2014 KBO All-Star Game MVP

They are very different accomplishments, for sure, but they don't seem that different in quantity or quality (especially if you grade NBP as a better league).

If he hits .250 with 15-20 HR's he's worth 3M a year. A risk worth taking. It gives them some additional money to spend elsewhere.

I'm not quite sure if that is true.  Ryan Doumit averaged .261 and 16 HR in his two seasons here and wasn't particularly worth the $3.5 mil a year we guaranteed him.

The only real value to this deal will be if he notably exceeds those numbers, and he obviously has a shot right now.  Will be interesting to watch.

Twins exploiting a market inefficiency?

Could be.  It does seem like we were more aggressive than other teams with our posting fee bid on Park, which is smart IF you actually want the player under this posting system.  Of course, it the player ultimately isn't worth wanting, it's not really an inefficiency that other teams bid less...

Essentially 4 years, 24 million total, I bet plenty of other teams in hindsight would have taken that. 

Given the difference in defensive position and age with Jung Ho Kang, and Kang's limited MLB resume thus far, it's hardly clear yet if teams were scared off by Park's potentially high price tag, or if that was more of a media mismeasurement.