The website of the Mariners has not put on the message yet but according to a Twitter account, former Softbank Hawks slugger/DH/1B Dae Ho Lee has signed a one year deal worth a reportedly $4 million with the team from Seattle.
The Japanese baseball website yakyubaka.com announced on January 30, that Lee extended his stay in the US with five more days because he was in the middle of finalizing a contract with an MLB team.
You have to hit the translate button to get the proper translation on this tweet.
Lee started his professional career in 2001 in the Korean KBO, where he played for the Lotte Giants. In the eleven seasons that he played for the Lotte Giants, Lee hit a career .308 with 225 homeruns.
Lee has played in the Japanese NPB for the last four years. The first two with the Orix Buffaloes, last two with the current champion Softbank Hawks from Fukuoka.
Last season, Lee posted a .282 batting average with an OBP of .368 and a slugging percentage of .524 with 31 homeruns and 30 doubles.
Sure Lee is known for the pop in his bat, but when you look to his BA in the past four years in Japan (.286; .303; .300 and .282) he can hit for average too.
Lee was voted MVP in this year’s Nippon Series as he batted 8 for 16 with two home runs and eight runs batted in.
In 2010 Lee set a world record by hitting home runs in nine consecutive games when he still played in the KBO.
It is expected that the Mariners will platoon Lee with lefty Adam Lind.
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