SAN DIEGO — Unless Derek Jeter reverses the aging process by 15 years, comes out of retirement and relocates to Citi Field, the Mets aren't going to find the perfect shortstop this winter.
Each candidate arrives with his strengths and weaknesses. Among the veteran free agents, Asdrubal Cabrera and Jed Lowrie hit better than they field, so much so that both men might struggle to find an everyday job at the position, whereas Stephen Drew is a certainty on the defensive side and very much less so on the offensive side. Of the pair currently on the Mets' roster, Wilmer Flores belongs in the first group and Ruben Tejada the second.
Then there's Jeong-ho Kang, the 27-year-old Korean who intrigues the Mets enough that they have scouted him in person and on video and convened earlier this week at the Winter Meetings — at the Mets' behest — with Kang's agent Alan Nero. Cabrera also is represented by Nero, yet the Mets' interest lies primarily with Kang.
This, too, is not a perfect player; by most accounts, his offense exceeds his defense. And the Mets' curiosity might not translate into anything more substantive than where it stands now. So let's say that, of the shortstop options out there, Kang ranks as the most interesting.
Kang will be posted shortly by the Nexen Heroes of the Korean Baseball Organization. Because Korean players are subject to the old posting system that used to apply to Japanese talent, clubs will submit bids and the highest-bidding team will win exclusive negotiating rights with Kang. That minimizes Kang's leverage, which is of course good news for the ultra-budget-conscious Mets. The bidding isn't expected to reach as high as even $10 million, although the Heroes of course can always turn down the bid if they decide they're better off keeping Kang than taking back an insufficient return.
In all likelihood, though, Kang will open a 30-day negotiating window with the winning major-league club by the end of the month. Realistically, he could get something like a four-year, $24 million deal — or a higher annual average value for fewer years — with the standard international-player provision that he can become a free agent upon the conclusion of his contract.
There's no secret what makes Kang stand out the most in this crowd: He hits like crazy. He owns a career .298/.382/.502 slash line with 138 homers in nine seasons, and in 2014, he put up a career-best .354/.457/.733 with 39 homers in 116 games, totaling 497 plate appearances.
Brandon Knight, who pitched briefly for the Yankees (in 2001 and 2002) and the Mets (in 2008) spent the last four seasons as Kang's teammate with Nexen.
"He is the best overall position-player prospect in that league," Knight, who has decided to retire, said at the Winter Meetings. "He certainly doesn't see the same sort of fastballs that he sees in the big leagues — it's more often in the low-90s — but I've seen him get after guys who are throwing in the mid-to-upper 90s."
Specifically, Knight recalled when Kang hit well against Radhames Liz, a hard-throwing right-hander who pitched for the Orioles from 2007 through 2009 and played in Korea from 2011 through 2013.
"I think the biggest thing that's changed with Kang is his approach," Knight said. "He's more patient now and better hitting the breaking ball than he used to be. He likes hitting sliders."
For Knight, the red light comes in Kang's defense.
"I'm just not sure if he's what you would look for as a big-league level shortstop," he said. "He definitely has the arm. The actual effort level he has to play the position is the only concern there. There were times when balls were definitely a ball that a good shortstop would dive for, and he just doesn't. With his arm, he can make those plays if he dives.
"I've certainly seen him make good plays when he does decide to dive, but not on a consistent enough basis."
However, Knight thinks this should not be considered a deal-breaker.
"He's a fantastic kid," Knight said. "He constantly does want to get better. It could be that the whole diving thing is that he's kind of saving himself.
"He could be better if someone got to him and said, 'We need more effort defensively.' He's certainly a well-rounded player."
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported the A's and Giants also are interested in Kang, and maybe he winds up somewhere else on the diamond like third base or the outfield — although those are not Mets areas of need. But in a tough market to upgrade at shortstop, you can see why they'll keep mulling over the high-risk, high-reward option from overseas.
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