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Pirates win bidding for Korean shortstop Jung-Ho Kang

Mike Oz

For a few days, we didn't know which MLB team won the bidding for Korean shortstop Jung-Ho Kang but we do now: It's the Pittsburgh Pirates.

MLB has announced that Pittsburgh had the top bid during the posting window for Kang. The figure was reportedly $5,002,015.

He was an intriguing free agent, based on his 2014 performance in Korea alone. Kang, 27, hit 40 homers and drove in 117 RBIs playing 117 games in the KBO and being named the league's MVP.

That's not against MLB-level pitching, of course. And you should also take into account that the KBO is viewed as hitter-friendly league. Kang is the first KBO position player to be posted to MLB, which adds to his mystery.

Still, a shortstop that hits 40 homers in any level of professional baseball is sure to get a look from MLB GMs. There was a lot of talk that the New York Mets, who are certainly in need of a shortstop, might go after Kang, but they didn't even put in a bid.

The Pirates were a bit of a surprise, but they might actually be a good fit for Kang, whose defense is also said to be a bit suspect. The Pirates are among the best teams in MLB at defensive positioning, employing useful shifts, etc.

There's thought that Kang might not even play shortstop in MLB, that he might move to third base or second (which is one reason the Mets probably passed on him). Questions as they were, Kang still ranked as the 33rd best player on Jeff Passan's Ultimate Free-Agent Tracker. He has upside, and that's always going to tantalize baseball execs.

The Pirates now have 30 days to sign Kang to a contract. The $5 million posting fee would then go to his Korean team, the Nexen Heroes. If the two sides don't reach a contract, Kang goes back to the Heroes and the Pirates don't pay the $5 million posting fee.

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Mike Oz is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!