KBO club Dinos preparing additional documents on Na Sung-bum for MLB posting

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Dec. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean slugger Na Sung-bum will have to wait a few more days before he can begin to chase his big league dreams.

Na's Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club, the NC Dinos, said Wednesday they're preparing to send additional documents to Major League Baseball (MLB) so that the posting process for Na can get under way.

The KBO asked MLB on Monday to post Na and make him available for 30 big league clubs. MLB hasn't processed that request yet and has instead asked for more medical documents on top of the ones the Dinos have already submitted.

MLB clubs can negotiate with a posted player for 30 days. The window opens at 8 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the morning after MLB officially notifies its clubs of the player's availability, and it closes at 5 p.m. ET on the 30th day.

Another KBO club, the Kiwoom Heroes, said Tuesday that the posting request for their own star player, Kim Ha-seong, was being delayed because MLB had also demanded additional medical information on the shortstop.

The Dinos' general manager, Kim Jong-moon, told Yonhap News Agency that he wasn't necessarily surprised by the thoroughness of the process.

"I've been told by the KBO this is just the routine and par for the course," Kim said.

Na had major surgery in 2019 to repair ligament and cartilage damage in his right knee, an injury that he suffered in early May and ruled him out for the rest of the year.

Kim said MLB in particular is seeking a detailed report on the surgery, directly from the surgeon who performed the operation.

Na, 31, bounced back from that surgery in 2020 to once again demonstrate his signature power stroke. This year, Na batted .324/.390/.596 with a career-high 34 home runs and 112 RBIs, while also scoring 115 runs. He was second in runs scored, third in home runs and seventh in RBIs. He was .001 point short of matching his career high in slugging percentage, and his 37 doubles were the second-highest single-season total of his career.

A 10th overall pick out of college in the 2012 draft, Na has a lifetime .317/.384/.542 line in 937 games, along with 179 home runs and 729 RBIs.

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

If Na signs a major league deal, the Dinos will receive a transfer fee, depending on the value of his contract.

If the guaranteed value of the deal is US$25 million or less, then the fee will be 20 percent of the contract. And if the contract is worth between $25,000,001 and $50 million, the fee will be 20 percent of the first $25 million, plus 17.5 percent of any amount exceeding that $25 million.

If Na signs for more than $50 million, the Dinos will receive $9,375,000 and then 15 percent of the amount exceeding $50 million.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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