ICHEON, South Korea, Jan. 7 (Yonhap) — With a popular South Korean outfielder Lee Jung-hoo in their roster, the San Francisco Giants would be “very interested” in coming to Lee’s hometown of Seoul to play, the club’s top executive said Wednesday.
Larry Baer, president and CEO of the Giants, traveled to South Korea this week along with his baseball operations chief Buster Posey, general manager Zack Minisian and manager Tony Vitello. Lee and shortstop Willy Adames represented the players for the Giants, with Lee serving as the local host for the visiting crew as they toured a traditional Korean market, sampled Korean dishes and ran a clinic for local high school players, including from Lee’s alma mater, Whimoon High School in Seoul.
From left: San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer, baseball operations chief Buster Posey, manager Tony Vitello, outfielder Lee Jung-hoo and shortstop Willy Adames pose for photos during their joint press conference at LG Champions Park in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Jan. 7, 2026. (Yonhap)
At a joint press conference Wednesday at LG Champions Park in Icheon, some 60 kilometers south of Seoul, Baer said Lee had already made “a very significant impact on Giants baseball in San Francisco and Major League Baseball” even though he has only been in the big leagues for two seasons.
“We felt it was important for us, for the Giants organization, to show up in a robust way because of our affinity and our growing affection for Jung-hoo,” Baer said. “From Day 1, he has put himself in a Giants uniform all in, both in the community with our fans and obviously in the clubhouse and on the field. So we love Jung-hoo, and we’re here to support him very, very strongly.”
Baer said he also took care of important business during his trip.
“We are very fortunate to have had several meetings while here, and we anticipate more meetings with Seoul- and Korea-based companies about relationships with the Giants and with Major League Baseball,” Baer said. “We have found that the interest in the Giants is very strong here among Korean-based companies, and we see that this will be a big part of our future. When you watch games from our Oracle Park, I think you can be ready to see signs for companies that will be very familiar to you that are based in Korea.”
San Francisco Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo takes part in a clinic for South Korean high school players at LG Champions Park in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Jan. 7, 2026. (Yonhap)
The club executive said the Giants are also eager to make their presence felt on the field in South Korea.
“We have always been very interested in doing international games, and baseball asks for teams to volunteer or to raise their hand with interest to do international games,” Baer said. “And we would like to, and Korea is really at the top of our list among the top destinations for us to play.
“There’s a selection process because all 30 teams, to some degree, have a rotation, and we have played some international games, most recently in Mexico City, so we have not heard when the next game could be,” Baer continued. “But we’d be very interested in coming to Seoul to play a game in the near future.”
Larry Baer, CEO of the San Francisco Giants, speaks during a press conference at LG Champions Park in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Jan. 7, 2026. (Yonhap)
Posey, a Giants franchise icon with an MVP award, a batting title, a Gold Glove, five Silver Slugger awards and three World Series titles, said he appreciated a chance to see South Korea’s passion for baseball firsthand.
“The San Francisco Giants are a proud organization where the passion for baseball runs deep to our roots,” the former catcher said. “As somebody who’s loved baseball from the time I can remember, it’s certainly special to be here in Korea and share that passion with a country. It’s very evident just how much the sport means to the country of Korea.”
Buster Posey, president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants, speaks during a press conference at LG Champions Park in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Jan. 7, 2026. (Yonhap)
Lee said it was “a great honor” for him to host the Giants in his home country.
“I’m really grateful for the warm reception from fans everywhere we’ve gone,” the outfielder said. “It’s also great to give players from my high school a chance to create fond memories.”
Vitello, who was hired in October, said he was looking forward to managing Lee, who he said is part of the Giants’ core.
“If he is playing the game confidently, he’s one of the best players in Major League Baseball and one of the most fun to watch as well,” Vitello added.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
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