The Minnesota Twins signed power-hitting first baseman-designated hitter Byung-ho Park on Tuesday to a four-year, $12 million contract with a $6.5 million club option for 2020, according to reports.
The Twins also will pay a $12.85 million posting fee to Park’s Korean team, the Nexen Heroes, bringing their total investment to $24.85 million for the 29-year-old. Minnesota won a blind auction with other major league teams for the rights to bid on Park.
Park blasted 53 home runs and had a .714 slugging percentage in Korea in 2015. But Korean parks are known to be hitter friendly and those numbers are expected to come down once Park begins playing the United States.
Park has been in the United States since Sunday night to finalize the deal. The Twins faced a Dec. 8 deadline to complete a deal before the posting fee would have been refunded and Park returned to Korea for the 2016 season.
