Pittsburgh Pirates finalize deal with Korean SS Jung-ho Kang

The Pittsburgh Pirates have come to terms on a four-year, approximately $16 million contract with Korean shortstop Jung-ho Kang.

According to ESPN’s Jim Bowden, the deal includes an option for a fifth year in 2019.

Including the posting fee to be paid to the Nexen Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization, the Pirates will pay around $21 million to bring Kang over.

The 27-year-old hit .356/.459/.739 in 117 games for Nexen in 2014, with 40 home runs and 117 RBI—all career highs. In nine seasons in the KBO, Kang was a .298/.383/.504 hitter in 902 games, with 139 home runs and 545 RBI.

In 2014, Kang was second in the league in home runs and third in RBI, while leading the circuit in slugging percentage and OPS, ahead of Park Byung-ho and Eric Thames. The Heroes were second in the KBO last season, finishing a half-game behind the Samsung Lions at 78-48-2. Kang was sixth in the league with a .356 batting average, fifth with 103 runs and third with 36 doubles, per baseball-reference.com.