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Korean slugger Lee Seung-yeop has shelved plans for a move to the U.S. Major Leagues and will instead stick with Yomiuri for a while longer.
In a website post on Monday, the Yomiuri Giants said Lee wants to stay on, and sooner or later the two will set forth their terms and sit down to negotiate a new contract. Lee spent two years playing for the Chiba Lotte Marines in the Pacific League and then made the move to the Yomiuri Giants in the Central League. His original plan was to head for the U.S. after wrapping up just one season with the Giants.
It is still undecided whether Lee will be around for just a year or more. According to the Sports Hochi, the team is seeking a contract for a clearly stated number of years. This year Lee¡¯s salary was 160 million yen, which puts him in the mid- to high range for his team. A three-year contract could top 1 billion yen.
Lee¡¯s achievements this season were dazzling. In the final rounds he lost the homerun king title in the Central League to Tyrone Woods (Chunichi Dragons), but with 41 homers, a batting average of .323, 108 RBIs, and 101 runs, he is in the top five in every area, making it no wonder that he has become the 70th batter to be entrusted with the important no. 4 spot in the Yomiuri lineup.
Meanwhile, Lee underwent surgery on his left knee on Oct. 13 and will resume regular batting practice in December after finishing rehabilitation.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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