Rangers Reportedly Win Bid for Korean Star

Don't get too terribly excited, Rangers fans, but here's something to be excited about: According to The Dallas Morning News, it seems the Texas Rangers have won the bidding process on Korean pitcher Hyeon-jong Yang, who is being posted by his team, the Kia Tigers of the Korean Baseball Organization, a league known to be very hitter-friendly.

Yang went 16-8 with a 4.25 ERA last season in Korea, which might not look great until you consider the league average for ERA is in the mid-5.00s. Remember, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Korean star Hyun-jin Ryu a couple of years ago, and that's worked out pretty well.

The Kia Tigers still have to approve the bid before the Rangers would get a 30-day exclusive negotiation window with Yang, similar to the one they had with Yu Darvish prior to the 2012 season.

Make no mistake, Yang is no Darvish, but he is being projected as a No. 3 starter in the bigs with the potential to top out as a No. 2 starter, which is exactly the kind of guy the Rangers are looking for, and at a much lower price than acquiring an established starter via free agency or trade.

According to Fox Broadcaster C.J. Nitkowski, citing his connections in Korea from his playing days there, the Rangers high bid was approximately $1.5 million. Compare that to the $50 million-ish they bid on Darvish, and it's a bargain no matter how you slice it.

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