Article: Byung-Ho Park Signs With KBO’s Nexen Heroes

[Cody Christie]

The Byungho Park Era is officially over in Minnesota while some would argue it was over even before last season. Park is headed back to the KBO to play for his former team the Nexen Heroes. As part of his new deal, Park will earn $1.4 million or 1.5 billion South Korean won.Yonhap News reporter Jeejo Yoo was the first to report Park’s return to Korea.

Park struggled with the transition to major league baseball. In 62 big league games, he hit .191/.275/.412 with 12 home runs and nine doubles. His 80 to 21 strikeout to walk ratio was a little tough to swallow. He fought through some injuries in his first season and he was never able to fully put it together.

 

Park was removed from the Twins 40-man roster last off-season and played in 111 Triple-A games in 2017 while continuing to battle through injuries. He finished 2017 hitting .253/.308/.415 with 130 strikeouts in 111 games. Park added 14 home runs and 22 doubles but it still wasn’t enough to make it back to the big leagues.

 

Park had two years and $6.5 million remaining on his initial contract with the Twins. He will turn 32 next season and it was probably in the best interests of both parties to go their separate ways.

 

What was your favorite Byungho Park moment? Should the Twins have given him another shot? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

 

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[ashbury]

So he left Twins money on the table, so as not to languish in AAA? That's a lot of dough.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Well, this is good for everyone involved. That frees up Eduardo Escobar money (well, close to it) for the Twins next season.

[operation mindcrime]

My favorite moment is today! \m/

[gunnarthor]

mlbtraderumors says the Twins are still on the hook for the money over the next two years.

 

My favorite Park moment - https://www.mlb.com/video/parks-solo-homer/c-593993283

 

I really wish it had worked out for him b/c he had more power than Sano, I think.

[Danchat]

I was very confident in early 2016 that Park was going to pan out... it wasn't quite like the Nishioka experiment in its glorious and colossal failure, but it was once again another blemish on TR's record. Hopefully the Twins will recoup that $6.5M they owe him.

[DocBauer]

mlbtraderumors says the Twins are still on the hook for the money over the next two years.

 

My favorite Park moment - https://www.mlb.com/video/parks-solo-homer/c-593993283

 

I really wish it had worked out for him b/c he had more power than Sano, I think.

 

I haven't had time to read said article, but is that really accurate? I would think they would be on the hook for any money still owed for the initial rights to him, but considering there does exist some sort of agreement between the league and MLB, wouldn't they be, at most, responsible for a differential in the contract? Much like if he was released and signed with a ML team?

[KirbyDome89]

InB4 "Niskioka all over again"

 

It was a worthwhile gamble by the Twins. Even though it didn't work out I can't knock the decision to take  a chance on foreign talent.  

 

 

[DocBauer]

I believe there was some merit in the initial signing. It just didn't work, and this is the best outcome for all involved. He was clearly behind Vargas and Grossman to the FO, and perhaps deservedly so. And while the team could still, possibly, need another RH bat that can play a position, it's not a priority as the player portion of the roster is constructed: productive, mostly young and getting better and better.

 

An OF or 1B off the bench with pop to possibly replace Vargas or Grossman could be a possibility and it just doesn't seem Park is/was that guy. More and more, I'm warming up to the idea of Reynolds as that guy, as Seth mentioned in his blueprint. He wouldn't cost a lot, still seems to have "it", can play a decent 1B, fill in if need be at 3B, (though I don't see said need as being anything more than emergency), and is a rather proven commodity, if not a "big get".

[Danchat]

A Rotoworld writer claims this:

 

 

In doing so, Park leaves $6.5 million on the table that he was still owed from the Twins.

 

[sploorp]

 

I haven't had time to read said article, but is that really accurate? I would think they would be on the hook for any money still owed for the initial rights to him, but considering there does exist some sort of agreement between the league and MLB, wouldn't they be, at most, responsible for a differential in the contract? Much like if he was released and signed with a ML team?

If he went to the Twins and asked to be released, I can't imagine why they would say no.  Maybe Vargas gets a legit shot at a full time position.  I still think he could put up some sick numbers if they would just give him the job and let him play.

[Rosterman]

I know they are on tap for the posting money or whatever, but since he asked to be released from his contract to return home...I don't see how the Twins owe him the remainder. If so, they can ask him to stay and play.

 

 

[flpmagikat]

Good for him I guess, no sense to spend the end of your prime in AAA here when he can still be a star and more comfortable in his home country. But I have a real hard time believing the Twins would have signed a contract that said if you fizzle out and quit and go home we will still pay you. Actually quite the opposite. Wouldn't it be like a player retiring and voiding the remaining contract or whatever happens?

[Platoon]

I will always wonder how much of this was marketing, both in Korea and in MN. The Twins had numerous bashers with long swings, who had trouble with both velocity and spin, and the inability to make contact. They put up good numbers in AAA and hardly ever set foot in MN. Yet we "outbid" all of baseball for Park, and were to believe his flaws were a mirage? I tend to be a skeptical pragmatic, and when the MN Twins, at least the previous administration, win a bidding contest at anything bigger than an estate auction, something is amiss.

[D. Hocking]

 

InB4 "Niskioka all over again"

 

 

Funny how the defensive parts of the mind works - I had completely blocked out and forgotten about Nishi.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Best wishes to Mr. Park. The Twins and he gave it a shot and it didn't work out. Onward and upward!

[Tom Froemming]

My favorite Park moment was him being one of the only reasons to watch the dumpster fire that was the first month and a half of 2016. Through May 15, he was hitting .257/.342/.581 (.923 OPS) with 9 homers, but the Twins were 10-26 over that stretch.

[beckmt]

Nishi was Bill Smith and Gardy,  Park was TR, but seems to have worked out better, just do not know if he was healthy how it would have gone.  There was not room in the win now mode the Twins were entering, and Park realized that, so good for both sides.

[beckmt]

Would guess that Rooker is going to play 1B at some time this year in Rochester and there was no room to continue the Park experiment.

[rdehring]

Expect this is like breaking any contract and something we will never know the full details.  After coming to an agreement to return home, he was likely bought out of his contract for a partial buy-out fee.  How much, we may never know.

 

[mikelink45]

It was worth the gamble.  It hurt nothing.  No Twin was kept from advancing and if it had worked it would have been great.  The Korean League can pretend to be the major league and players like Park can be heroes.  Now he can even say he played in the American MLB and that can only help his reputation. 

[Deduno Abides]

For those saying it was worth a shot and didn’t hurt anything, remember that Park’s signing, as well as keeping Plouffe, is why Sano was moved to RF. That hurt.

[gunnarthor]

 

For those saying it was worth a shot and didn’t hurt anything, remember that Park’s signing, as well as keeping Plouffe, is why Sano was moved to RF. That hurt.

Well, Sano was never going to be DH so Park really had nothing to do with it.

 

Park was a reasonable gamble. For all those who want the Twins to sign Ohtani or Darvish, they'll be blocking Romero, Gonsalves, Thorpe, etc and taking payroll as well. 

[kab21]

 

I will always wonder how much of this was marketing, both in Korea and in MN. The Twins had numerous bashers with long swings, who had trouble with both velocity and spin, and the inability to make contact. They put up good numbers in AAA and hardly ever set foot in MN. Yet we "outbid" all of baseball for Park, and were to believe his flaws were a mirage? I tend to be a skeptical pragmatic, and when the MN Twins, at least the previous administration, win a bidding contest at anything bigger than an estate auction, something is amiss.

The Twins 'outbid' the entire MLB and paid backup level money for Park. At that price point it was a chance worth taking.

[Vanimal46]

 

Well, Sano was never going to be DH so Park really had nothing to do with it.

 

Park was a reasonable gamble. For all those who want the Twins to sign Ohtani or Darvish, they'll be blocking Romero, Gonsalves, Thorpe, etc and taking payroll as well. 

 

Yeah I agree Park's signing had very little to do with Sano moving to RF. It had everything to do with Plouffe staying in the organization and TR valuing his defense over Sano's. At the time there wasn't any question Plouffe was a better fielder than Sano. 

[spinowner]

 

Yeah I agree Park's signing had very little to do with Sano moving to RF. It had everything to do with Plouffe staying in the organization and TR valuing his defense over Sano's. At the time there wasn't any question Plouffe was a better fielder than Sano. 

I think the reason Sano had to go to RF is because the Twins had the misfortune of wanting to trade Plouffe when there was no market whatsoever for third basemen. Plouffe would have been a worse defensive RF than Sano and Sano would have been a worse defensive 3B than Plouffe. So they had to keep Plouffe and play him at 3B hoping that someone would trade a used fungo bat for him. Everyone knew it was short term but it was just one of those unfortunate things.

[Twins33]

For all those who want the Twins to sign Ohtani or Darvish, they'll be blocking Romero, Gonsalves, Thorpe, etc and taking payroll as well.

 

We keep using the word "blocking" (I've done it too) but has a player ever actually been blocked? Berrios maybe, but that argument could go either way in my opinion. I was for him being up even earlier than he was, just for the record. Nolasco, Duffey and Gibson sure shouldn't have been blocking him as they were all terrible. That's the FO fault for not replacing one with Berrios sooner. They weren't blocking him by pitching well. And Berrios had a rough 2016, but I would have been fine with him taking his lumps over watching those other three.

 

It's been said for 2-3 years now, we can't sign RP because we have all these stud RP prospects. Then they keep getting injured and we say the same thing the year after. It's a cycle that's happened for many years now. No one ended up being blocked.

 

SP: Three SP (May, Hughes, Santiago) were lost to injury last year and another (Gibson) was terrible for a big chunk of time. No one in the rotation would have been blocked last year either.

 

We keep worrying about players being blocked, but it seems like it never happens due to injury (mostly) or poor performance. I think we need to stop saying it and stop worrying about it until it actually happens. When it does happen, it's one of those "good problems to have." Too many healthy, good players is a good problem. The Twins haven't had that problem.

 

I don't want to block say a Gonsalves either, but I also don't want to pretend like there won't be any injuries or any poor performances that he can replace. Both of those things are likely to happen. There's also the possibility that Santana and Gibson are not on the team by midseason or end of season.

Edited November 27, 2017 by Twins33

[Brandon]

i think Park would have had a shot if he produced in the minirs next year and vargas fizzled or someone was hurt. but Rooker is rising fast and our new front office didnt seem enamored by him either. but if we are able to sign Ohteni then he would get the potential at bats the Park would be fighting for next season so there would be almost no chance for Park. so i guess the contract he got in Korea is the best outcome dor him.

[KirbyDome89]

 

We keep using the word "blocking" (I've done it too) but has a player ever actually been blocked? Berrios maybe, but that argument could go either way in my opinion. I was for him being up even earlier than he was, just for the record. Nolasco, Duffey and Gibson sure shouldn't have been blocking him as they were all terrible. That's the FO fault for not replacing one with Berrios sooner. They weren't blocking him by pitching well. 

Agree 100%, but I don't think labeling that as "blocking," is unfair. Favoring over the hill veteran placeholders to unproven young talent isn't uncommon, but the Twins are notorious for their stubbornness to move on from said vets, even when the necessity for such a move is painfully obvious. To me, continuing to give innings to those players even after it's clear they aren't a better option is in essence "blocking." I think the term is often used in reference to those types of situations and not the talent level on the field actually keeping young players in the minors.

 

The silver lining is that this FO seems more willing to move on quickly from those types of players. If we're using Berrios as an example, then the decision to give Tepesch a start ahead of him was a mistake, and exactly the type of move the old FO would have made. The correction was that he wasn't given another shot after imploding, whereas in previous seasons he may have started a few more games. It's a baby step, but one in the right direction. 

[Twins33]

Agree 100%, but I don't think labeling that as "blocking," is unfair. Favoring over the hill veteran placeholders to unproven young talent isn't uncommon, but the Twins are notorious for their stubbornness to move on from said vets, even when the necessity for such a move is painfully obvious. To me, continuing to give innings to those players even after it's clear they aren't a better option is in essence "blocking." I think the term is often used in reference to those types of situations and not the talent level on the field actually keeping young players in the minors.

 

The silver lining is that this FO seems more willing to move on quickly from those types of players. If we're using Berrios as an example, then the decision to give Tepesch a start ahead of him was a mistake, and exactly the type of move the old FO would have made. The correction was that he wasn't given another shot after imploding, whereas in previous seasons he may have started a few more games. It's a baby step, but one in the right direction.

 

i can see it both ways, it doesn't help that the last front office was so clingy to their players. I don't think they would have only protected three players in the rule 5. I don't think they would have removed Rosario or Tonkin. We don't yet know if this FO will be clingy to their own drafted players, but they don't seem to be with the previous FO players.

 

If the Twins get Darvish and/or Ohtani or make a trade for a SP and they pitch well are people really going to complain that they are blocking Gonsalves or Littell? I know they will complain if the acquisition sucks, but you can't do anything about that except scout/analyze to the best of your ability and hope a player doesn't get hurt.

 

If anyone is going to be blocking those two prospects it will likely be Gibson, Santana or Mejia. And they should have no problem ditching the first two for Gonsalves or Littell if needed. So this whole blocking thing shouldn't be an issue until three years or more from now since there is for sure one SP spot open now and could be 1-2 more depending on what they do with Santana/Gibson in the future. And it's hard to see what the pitching depth will be then since we don't even know what they'll be able to accomplish in the next couple of months. And just FYI, I'm not counting on May or Hughes in any of this. We don't know if they'll contribute anything meaningful or how soon they may be able to.

 

Blocking may be the right word if the FO decides to not cut bait when it's obviously necessary but technically that's more mismanagement/stubbornness than a true block. At least that's my way of thinking about it. It's probably just semantics, but I can safely say that in my opinion no one was blocking Berrios and no one was blocking any one of the RP so the Twins have never had this problem.

 

(Sorry about the Park thread hijack. I don't think the Park/Nishioka failures should stop them from going after Ohtani or any other Asian player)

Edited November 27, 2017 by Twins33