The Giants are yet to sign a big-name bat during this offseason, most notably bringing back Michael Morse on a minor-league deal and also signing veteran infielder Jimmy Rollins to a minor-league deal as well.
In the latest news on the rumor mill though, San Francisco's front office has kept tabs on a big name in Korea. The Giants have reportedly showed continued interest in free agent infielder Jae-gyun Hwang, according to MLB Network's Jon Morosi.
Hwang, 29, primarily plays third base. He is an unrestricted free agent and will not require a posting fee.
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In 2016, Hwang produced a career year for the Lotte Giants of the Korean Baseball Organization, hitting .330/.391/.358 while tying a career-high 26 home runs in 118 games played. At the plate, Hwang also notched a career-best 104 RBI, and swiped 24 bases.
A big change to Hwang's approach last season could be boosting the interest of MLB clubs. Two seasons ago, Hwang struck out 122 times and posted a .350 on-base percentage. Then, in 2016, Hwang cut his strikeouts down to only 64, his lowest since 2008, and increased his on-base percentage to the highest of his career. His strikeout rate dropped from 22.8 percent of his at-bats to 13.8 percent in just one year.
Over 10 seasons in the KBO, Hwang has hit .285/.349/.433 with 114 home runs, 585 RBI and 172 stolen bases.