What International players could be comming to the states

[Americanoutlaw2.0]

for the 2009 season

[Agente Libre]

I doubt the answers will change much from the last thread. Cubans must defect to play in MLB and it's anyone's guess if any Cubans will defect between now and 2009. Meanwhile, the best Japanese, Korean and Mexican players are mostly under control of teams in those countries and can only leave for MLB if they become free agents or are posted (Japan) or are sold to MLB teams (Korea, Mexico).

[Richard]

What ever happened to the home run hitting first baseman from Korea whose name I believe was Lee. I think he plays in Japan now. But after the first WBC, it was said he was going to negotiate with a MLB team.

[Agente Libre]

I don't believe there was much MLB interest in that guy and he signed a multiyear deal in Japan. (I believe he had announced his desire to play MLB, so Japan appears to have been a fallback position for him.)

[SouthwestAmAZins]

What ever happened to the home run hitting first baseman from Korea whose name I believe was Lee. I think he plays in Japan now. But after the first WBC, it was said he was going to negotiate with a MLB team.

Seung-Yeop Lee info according to Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Seung-Yeop

[Tetsuwan]

What ever happened to the home run hitting first baseman from Korea whose name I believe was Lee. I think he plays in Japan now. But after the first WBC, it was said he was going to negotiate with a MLB team.

He tried to go to MLB at the end of every season in Japan but no team of MLB gave him decent offer.

[Rally Monkey]

Plus, last time I checked, he'd been demoted to minors in Japan. He's done.

[DownUnderDodger]

MLB clubs are regularly recruiting young Australians but not too many of them actually make it to the biggies!!
18yo NSW outfielder Moko Moanaroa is the latest to sign a contract with the Boston Red Sox. His 17yo brother Boss signed with the Bosox last month.
17yo NSW outfielder David Kandilas signed a contract with the Colorado Rockies in April.
And the New York Yankees signed 17yo ACT catcher Kyle Perkins in February.

[heavesrock]

Being demoted to the minors is hardly being "done." The guy was performing below his previous performances, and the Giants were doing poorly in the standings, after they were predicted to win the pennant. A scapegoat was needed, so they demoted him. He wasn't doing too badly, but well below his performances of year's past.

What happened with the MLB thing is not "No one gave him a decent offer" but rather he demanded that he guaranteed a starting spot. No team was stupid enough to take this, so he stayed in Japan which isn't the worst thing in the world.

[DaClyde]

The Japanese use their minor league system much differently than MLB. Movement between their minors and NPB is much more fluid. If someone isn't performing, or is hurt, they usually go immediately to the minors and someone is brought up to replace them. The minors over there also aren't as big or deep as with MLB, so the guy being sent down isn't competing with 60 other players for that position on the big league team.