Where Will Jung-Ho Kang Play in Pittsburgh?

The Pirates have reportedly come to terms with Korean infielder Jung-Ho Kang on a four-year, $16 million deal. Including the posting fee paid to Kang’s old club, the Nexen Heroes, the Bucs have committed at least $21 million to the Korean Baseball Organization’s equivalent of Troy Tulowitzki . The 27-year-old Kang bashed 40 homers and posted a 1.198 OPS last season — absurd stats even by the launching pad standards of the KBO (the league average was .807 in 2014). How those numbers will translate to the states — and where Kang will ultimately play in Pittsburgh — is less clear.

The low posting fee and relatively modest contract reflect GMs’ uncertainty about whether Kang can become the first KBO star to become an everyday position player in the majors. He’d garner far more than a $5 million posting bid if teams through he’d be anything near Tulo-like. In an ideal scenario, he becomes a Jhonny Peralta type who hits for power and capably mans shortstop despite his big frame. Worst-case, the Pirates take a small financial hit on a bad lottery ticket, as Kang’s bat doesn’t play and he tumbles down the defensive spectrum. We’ll know more how Kang measures up in the majors in a few months, but here’s a quick look at how manager Clint Hurdle could deploy the Pirates’ second-most expensive free agent sign in franchise history.

A Replacement for Jordy Mercer at shortstop

There’s nothing wrong with having Jordy Mercer as your shortstop — he’s a solid starter who’s in his prime (28 years old) and dirt cheap, as he won’t be eligible for arbitration until the 2016 season and won’t hit free agency until after 2018. Mercer’s lumber is actually pretty good by shortstop standards (his 102 OPS+ places seventh among shortstops with at least 900 plate appearances from 2012-14), and he holds his own in the field (+8 career Defensive Runs Saved). But Mercer’s unlikely to take major steps forward in 2015 and beyond — what you see is what you get. If Pirates brass absolutely loves what they see out of Kang in spring training — he pummels pitchers, and proves his defensive skeptics wrong — there’s at least a chance that he pushes Mercer for the starting shortstop job.

A Josh Harrison -esque super-utility man

With Harrison busting out in 2014 (a 134 OPS+, 5.3 Wins Above Replacement), the Bucs figure to install him as their everyday third baseman and relegate Pedro Alvarez to first, where his errant arm won’t put fans in mortal danger. If that switch happens, it provides Kang with the opportunity to become the 2015 version of J-Hey by roaming around the infield. Kang could fill in against tough lefties for Alvarez (.588 career OPS versus southpaws) and second baseman Neil Walker (.688), who might need a few more days off for his occasionally balky back as he nears his thirties. The Pirates value Mercer’s glove at shortstop, but maybe they could still play Kang at that spot through creative defensive shifting and waiting for days when they have a fly ball-centric pitcher on the mound. Kang might not have a defined spot, but he could still rack up 300+ plate appearances as a super sub.

An eventual replacement for Neil Walker at second base

This won’t happen any time soon — Walker is under contract through 2016 — but it’s possible that the Pirates just found their long-term replacement for the Pittsburgh Kid. Walker has established himself as an elite second baseman, tapping into his power and averaging 3.4 WAR over the past three seasons. That performance sets him up to hit pay dirt in a few years. But at that point, Walker will be 31 years old. The list of Expansion Era (1961-Present) second baseman who have racked up significant value from age 31 onward is pretty short (15 players with at least 15 WAR from that point forward). Will the Pirates feel comfortable dishing out $15-20 million per year at that point to a guy entering the typical decline phase of a player’s career?

The Pirates would love to sign Walker to a four-year deal that buys out his two remaining arbitration seasons and a couple years of free agency, allowing them to avoid paying a premium for Walker’s decline phase. But short of accomplishing that, GM Neal Huntington could use 2015 and 2016 as an evaluation period to see whether Kang is a viable alternative.

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