NC Dinos ask KBO to post slugger Na Sung-bum for MLB teams

Sports 16:30 November 30, 2020

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Nov. 30 (Yonhap) -- One of South Korea's premier sluggers will be knocking on the big league doors this winter.

The NC Dinos announced Monday they've asked the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) to post outfielder Na Sung-bum for major league clubs. The next step is for the KBO to formally inform Major League Baseball (MLB) of his availability.

In this file photo from Nov. 17, 2020, Na Sung-bum of the NC Dinos celebrates his RBI single against the Doosan Bears in the bottom of the first inning of Game 1 of the Korean Series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. (Yonhap)

Under the posting system, any interested big league team will be able to negotiate with Na during a 30-day period. It will begin at 8 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the morning after MLB officially notifies its 30 clubs of Na's status and end at 5 p.m. ET on the 30th day.

Na, 31, joins Kiwoom Heroes' shortstop Kim Ha-seong as the second KBO player to ask to be posted this offseason. Na is represented by uber-agent Scott Boras.

Na appeared in 130 of 144 games this year, and batted .324/.390/.596 with a career-high 34 home runs and 112 RBIs. It was a nice bounceback season after Na missed most of 2019 with a knee injury. He split his time at right field and designated hitter in 2020.

If Na had stayed healthy in 2019, he would have completed his seventh full season and become eligible for posting. Instead, he only played in 23 games -- a player must be on the active roster for 145 days to qualify for a full season -- and had to wait another season to be posted.

A 10th overall pick out of college in the 2012 draft, Na has a lifetime .317 batting average in 937 games, along with 179 home runs and 729 RBIs.

In this file photo from Nov. 20, 2020, Na Sung-bum of the NC Dinos hits a solo home run against the Doosan Bears in the top of the first inning of Game 3 of the Korean Series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. (Yonhap)

He helped the Dinos win their first Korean Series earlier this month. In a six-game victory over the Doosan Bears, Na batted .458/.440/.625 with a home run, six RBIs and three runs scored.

"We're happy to help Na Sung-bum chase his major league dreams," Dinos' general manager Kim Jong-moon said. "We hope Na will be recognized for his talent and help raise the profile of Korean baseball."

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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