Fans mock Padres after Giants capture Jung Hoo Lee's signature - "Padres fans said they had signed him"

The San Francisco Giants have announced a six-year, $113 million agreement with Korean free agent Jung Hoo Lee, prompting fans to mock the San Diego Padres on their failed attempt to sign him.

While the free agent market has seen considerable inflation in numbers this year, this deal marks a record signing for the Giants. The Padres had made a big push for the ninth-ranked free agent in the market, who has now chosen the Giants, pending a medical.

Lee started his major league career with the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korean Baseball Organization in 2017, winning the Rookie of the Year in his first season. Since then, he has quickly established himself as one of the brightest young stars in the country, winning five Golden Glove awards as well as the MVP award in 2022.

Jung Hoo Lee's 2023 season in the KBO was cut short due to a fractured ankle, which saw him miss multiple games. He is nicknamed the 'grandson of the wind' after his father Lee Jong-beom, a KBO legend, nicknamed "son of the wind."

Landing him should be considered a win for the Giants, especially since they managed to steal him from under the San Diego Padres' noses.

Giants fans took to Twitter to poke fun at the Padres:

"Padres fans said they had signed him already," wrote one fan on Twitter.

"How did the padres not get him," added another.

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Where does Jung Hoo Lee fit in with the Giants?

The San Francisco Giants have finally made a splash in the MLB market, handing out the biggest contract for a position player in the history of their franchise. It suggests that the front office sees Lee as their long-term center fielder, but they still have a lot of veteran outfielders in the mix.

Given the state of things in the Giants' clubhouse, Lee will likely take center field in the future, with Mike Yastrzemski in right field and Mike Conforto in left. However, that leaves several veteran outfielders like Austin Slater and Mitch Haniger, whom the team will have to make decisions on very soon.