S. Korean star Choo lands 7-yr deal with Texas Rangers

South Korean outfielder Choo Shin-soo has agreed to a $130 million, seven-year contract with the Texas Rangers, a report on the website of Major League Baseball (MLB) said Sunday.

The deal, not yet confirmed by the Rangers, will be finalized if Choo passes a physical, the report said, citing a source.

Once signed, the deal would make the 31-year-old the most paid South Korean player in MLB history, beating Park Chan-ho who inked a five-year, $65 million contract with the Texas Rangers in 2001.

The news came a month after the Rangers, who were looking for more power at the plate, acquired five-time All-Star first baseman Prince Fielder in a trade with Detroit, the report said.

Choo, who had been the top prize remaining among free agents, enjoyed the most productive season of his career with the Cincinnati Reds in 2013. He hit 21 home runs and posted 20 steals for his third-career 20-20 season, and established career-highs with 107 runs scored, 112 walks and a .423 on-base percentage. He was second in the National League in these three categories.

Choo made his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners in 2005 and was traded to the Indians in 2006. The former high school pitching prospect didn't become a full-time big leaguer until 2008. (Yonhap News)