BRADENTON, Fla. — Ji-Hwan Bae stood in the clubhouse at LECOM Park on Monday morning beaming while watching as the Pirates' major leaguers packed their belongings into plastic crates.
The South Korean shortstop is only 18 years old and didn't sign with the Pirates until earlier this month. However, he now stood among players such as Ivan Nova, Gregory Polanco and Starling Marte. He wasn't there just to observe, though. He was one of several prospects to play in the Pirates' 6-3 loss to the Phillies — the Grapefruit League game at LECOM Park this afternoon.
The game presented fans with a glimpse of the future — outfielder prospect Lolo Sanchez stole home in the sixth inning — but perhaps no player is more intriguing than the club’s newest prospect.
“I really liked the development system of the Pirates and the facilities, of course,” Bae explained through interpreter Bumyun Hahn of his decision to sign with the Pirates. “The development system is very important for me to become a big-league player. That’s why I chose them.”
It also helped that the Pirates paid up for one of the top remaining international free agents. Bae’s $1.25-million international signing bonus is the second-highest in the organization’s history, trailing only Luis Heredia’s contract from 2010. But Bae's signing is unlike any the club has made.
He is one of only two players to leave a high school in South Korea directly for professional baseball in America and has been regarded as one of the top amateur players on the Asian continent over the past year. Bae, who attended Kyeongbuk High School in Daegu, the country’s fourth-largest city, batted .286 with five RBIs, six runs and a pair of stolen bases during the U-18 Baseball World Cup.
He was projected as a first-round pick in the KBO’s draft last year, but chose to sign with the Braves in September. Atlanta gave him a $300,000 signing bonus, and the two sides also agreed to $600,000 worth of compensation outside of that contract. Bae played in instructional league for the Braves, but Major League Baseball rejected the contract because of the additional compensation. He became one of 13 prospects lost by the Atlanta organization because of improprieties in international free agency.
The Pirates were among a number of teams to pursue Bae prior to his agreement with the Braves and intensified that pursuit this offseason once he was again a free agent.
“I had a hard time after I got out from the Braves [contract], but a lot of teams showed interest,” Bae said. “That gave me a comfort.”
His performance in the U-18 Baseball World Cup, as well as in showcases, led to some lofty comparisons. Upon signing with the Braves, Bae was introduced to the media at SunTrust Park in Atlanta, where Braves special assistant to the general manager Chad MacDonald compared him to the Nationals’ Trea Turner.
“He’s very athletic. He stays at shortstop, he’s going to be a solid to plus defender there. His bat-to-ball skills are really good. There’s more power in the bat,” said MacDonald, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “If everything clicks, we have a left-handed version of Trea Turner, who I signed in San Diego. Again, maybe not that much power, but certainly the impact speed and defense, with bat-to-ball skills and a left-handed hitter.”
Bae didn’t always dream of playing in the majors, though. That began when Shin Soo-Choo, a fellow South Korean, made an impact with the Indians from 2006-12. Then, Bae became a fan of the Dodgers and left-handed pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu. He was also an avid follower of baseball in his own country and was a “big fan” of Jung Ho Kang when Kang was a shortstop in the KBO.
Although the two have never spoken, Kang’s impact on the Pirates in 2015 and 2016 was a factor in Bae’s decision to choose the Pirates.
“I didn’t have any contact with Kang, so I had no information on how the Pirates helped Kang settle down here, but another Korean player making a big impression on this team helped motivate me to sign here,” he said.
Bae, wearing No. 92, entered in the seventh inning as a pinch-runner for Jordy Mercer and scored on Mikell Granberry's single. Then, he converted an inning-ending double play in the eighth, collecting a grounder off the bat of Jiandido Trompe, slinging a throw to Brett Pope at second base.
Bae led off the ninth inning, failing to lay down a bunt before lining out to center.
He’s been working out in minor-league camp at Pirate City this month and is expected to begin the season in the Gulf Coast League. He chose this unique route for a challenge unlike any he could find in his home country.
“I was a big fan of American baseball since I was five,” he said. “The two worlds are different, so I wanted to challenge myself.”
• Trevor Williams, who will start on Saturday against the Tigers in Detroit, struggled in his final outing of spring training. The right-hander allowed four runs, two of which were earned, on four hits in 2 1/3 innings. Williams allowed a leadoff walk in the first, and a stolen base advanced the runner into scoring position. Then, the Phillies hit an RBI single to left.
Matt McBride hit a double off Williams in the second and advanced to third after Starling Marte committed an error in center field. The Phillies then added a two-out, two-run single. Williams finished the spring with a 5.87 ERA in six outings.
The error was the third for Marte in center field this spring.
• Edgar Santana, George Kontos, Michael Feliz, Bo Schultz, Dovydas Neverauskas, Josh Smoker and Johnny Hellweg also pitched for the Pirates. Santana allowed a two-run homer to Andrew Knapp in the fourth inning. Kontos, Feliz, Schultz, Neverauskas and Smoker each pitched a scoreless inning.
Schultz, 32, was making his first appearance in a major-league game since he underwent Tommy John surgery last March. The right-hander was reassigned to minor-league camp afterwards, but he could very well make an impact for the Pirates this season.
• In addition to Schultz, catcher Ryan Lavarnway and outfielder Daniel Nava were also reassigned to minor-league camp. Nava, who is recovering from back surgery, will remain in Bradenton while recovering. He likely won't be healthy enough to play in a game until June.
• Sanchez, a right-handed hitter who turns 19 next month, impressed in the Gulf Coast League last season, batting .284/.359/.417 with 11 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 20 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 204 at-bats. He entered as a pinch-runner for Corey Dickerson in the sixth inning, advancing to second on a passed ball and taking third on a sacrifice fly.
Then, he did this:
Run Lolo Run!
18-year-old #Pirates prospect Lolo Sanchez with a straight steal of home ... off a pitcher throwing from the stretch! No. 10 on the @Pirates' Top 30 list: https://t.co/ApnAp224p8 pic.twitter.com/1Vpb4Iwvw6
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 26, 2018
Sanchez is ranked among the Pirates' top 10 prospects by Baseball America and MLB.com.
• Clint Hurdle's lineup for the game:
1. Adam Frazier, DH
2. Josh Harrison, 2B
3. Starling Marte, CF
4. Josh Bell, 1B
5. Corey Dickerson, LF
6. Sean Rodriguez, RF
7. Colin Moran, 3B
8. Jordy Mercer, SS
9. Elias Diaz, C
• The Pirates will finish spring training with a 1:05 game against the Phillies at Spectrum Field in Clearwater on Tuesday. Jameson Taillon is scheduled to start with Felipe Rivero and Chad Kuhl in relief.
