미국 언론 추신수 1억4천만불 요구에 "어느 정도 말은 되는듯"

Published : Dec 12, 2013 - 11:16 Updated : Dec 12, 2013 - 11:16

추신수 (AP-연합뉴스)

미 프로야구(MLB)에서 활약하고 있는 추신수가 새 계약 조건으로 7년, 1억4천만달러 이상을 요구하고 있다는 소식이 전해졌다.

미국 NBC 스포츠는 USA 투데이의 밥 나이튼게일 기자를 인용하여 이와 같이 전하면서 "현재로서는 (텍사스) 레인저스와 (시애틀) 마리너스가 영입경쟁에서 앞서고 있는 것으로 보인다"고 보도했다.

또한 추신수의 요구 조건을 최근 뉴욕 양키스와 7년, 1억5천3백만 달러에 계약한 자코비 엘스버리와 비교하면서 "엘스버리는 알다시피 '진짜' 중견수'이기 때문에 (추신수가) 그보다 약간 적은 액수에 계약하는게 어느 정도 말은 된다(makes some kind of sense)"고 적었다.

이는 추신수의 약한 수비력을 꼬집으면서 동시에 추신수의 계약조건이 터무니없지만은 않다고 지적한 것으로 보인는데, 실제로 이 매체는 추신수가 엘스버리를 출루율에서 크게 앞서고 있음을 지적했다.

반면 또다른 매체인 Baseball News Source에서는 추신수가 남아있는 자유계약 선수중 최고라면서도 그의 약점과 나이를 감안하면 그의 계약조건은 무리(big stretch)라고 지적하면서 "1억1천만 달러 이상을 받아선 안된다"고 말했다.

<관련 영문 기사>

Is Choo worth $140 million?

After most of the Major League’s top free agents have signed new contracts, Choo Shin-soo is heating up the league once again with his enormous demand of $140 million over seven years, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

The price tag on the 31-year-old outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds brings up a series of questions, which can all be summed up to this: Is he worth it?

There is no doubt that the South Korean is a contributor on offense. He is among the top players in terms of on-base percentage -- career .389 OBP -- and can run as well as hit as demonstrated by his several 20/20 seasons where he hit 20 home runs and stole 20 bases in one season.

In 2013, he recorded a 15.7 percent walk rate and .423 OBP, numbers topped only by his teammate Joey Votto in the National League.

Despite his brilliance on offense, he is considered by most sabermetrics statistic to be among the worst defensive outfielders in the league. The widely used Ultimate Zone Rating had Choo at dead last among centerfielders in 2013. His hitting percentage also drops by a huge margin when facing lefties.

Also, many are questioning if Choo is superstar material. He has yet to have been named an all-star and his age suggests that he has already peaked as a player. Even as he posted a career season in 2013, he is considered more a solid player than a star.

The good news for Choo is that at this point, he is considered arguably the best available option in the market. It also helps that Choo’s demand seems to make more sense after the New York Yankees signed Jacoby Ellsbury for $153 million, another top outfielder in this year’s free agency.

So where will Choo-choo train make its next stop?

Reports have suggested the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners are leading the race, although some say Seattle may back off from the bid after signing Corey Hart and Logan Morrison.

By Yoon Min-sik and news reports
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)