Former Texas Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo back for third KBO season
By David Hill
Former Texas Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo is not ready to hang up the cleats just yet.
The long time major leaguer is returning to the SSG Landers in the Korean Baseball Organization for a third season. According to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net, Choo will receive 1.7 billion won for the upcoming season.
Former Texas Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo sticking around for one more year
That salary marks a one billion won decrease from his 2022 compensation. While it is a significant cut in pay, it was also negotiated between the two sides to help the Landers stay under the salary cap, something that is being instituted in the KBO for the first time in the upcoming season.
Choo had a solid performance last season, posting a .259/.382/.430 batting line with 16 homers and 20 doubles over his 499 plate appearances while stealing 15 bases. Although his numbers slipped slightly from his 2021 KBO debut, he was still a productive player.
It is also evident that Choo has something left in the tank. He may not be able to play in the outfield any longer, as he had just two appearances in right over his 112 games, but he can still be a dynamic option in the lineup.
The question is how much Choo has left. He is 40 years old at this point and is going to slow down a bit more. He has already become a legend in South Korea, having had the most success of any player from that country in the majors. His legacy is set. But at this point, it is a matter of letting the South Korean legend play in front of his home town crowd and go out on his terms. Along the way, he has still been able to help the Landers, even if he is not quite the player he had been.
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Former Texas Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo is not ready to hang up the cleats. He is back with the SSG Landers for a third season.