Chan Ho Park signs with Yankees
Park announced at a press conference in South Korea early this morning that he has signed a one-year deal with the Yankees worth $1.2 million, plus $300,000 worth of incentives.
Chan Ho Park signs with Yankees
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
Former Phillies righthander Chan Ho Park has signed with the team who beat them in the World Series. Park announced at a press conference in South Korea early this morning that he has signed a one-year deal with the Yankees worth $1.2 million, plus $300,000 worth of incentives. Park, according to a report by the Yonhap News Agency, said he had considered signing with the Cubs, who had offered him a chance to be a starter, "But I have chosen the Yankees, a prestigious team that can advance to the World Series again."
Of course, Park could have signed with another team that has a chance to advance to the World Series again, and for nearly twice the money he says he landed with the Yankees. The Phillies made no secret of their desire to re-sign Park, who posted a 2.52 ERA and struck out 9.4 batters per nine innings in 50 innings as a reliever last season. They made him an offer in the neighborhood of $3 million per year, but eventually moved on and signed righthanders Danys Baez and Jose Contreras.
Contreras, a former starter with the Yankees and White Sox, is expected to fill the void Park left.
Contreras is actually guaranteed more money by the Phillies -- $1.5 million -- than Park is guaranteed by the Yankees.
Park initially signed with the Phillies last offseason expecting to compete for the fifth spot in the rotation, even though manager Charlie Manuel has said he viewed Park as a reliever. Park did compete, and eventually won the spot, but struggled early on and eventually was replaced by J.A. Happ in the rotation.
Despite success as a reliever, Park was quoted by South Korean reporters this offseason as saying that he wanted to find a team that would give him another chance to start, although the Phillies said they were under the understanding that Park was open to returning to the team as a reliever.
Park doesn't appear to have any shot at starting with the Yankees, who feature C.C. Sabathia, Javier Vazquez, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte, with well-regarded young players Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes competing for the final spot in the rotation.
Now hat wasn't very bright by Chan ho. Turn down 3 million to take 1.2 million. Maybe he thought the Phils offer was for 3 millYEN. That darn language barrier.— mainstreet- dang the yankees just got themselves a great signing for 1.5 million. cant believe we couldnt have resigned him for that amount. we could really use another solid reliever
Park must have gotten bad advice from his agent.— wylies99
Comment removed.- not surprising the amaro article saying they "might not be done" comes out right before the chan ho park article. he found out what he signed for and realized what a stupid mistake it was to not resign him for a 1 year no risk contract. he was a stud for us in the pen last season.
- i understand the phils offered him more but i bet if they had stayed in talks with him they wouldve resigned him. when we are desperate for reliever help midseason remember this signing
- I wads wondering if the Yanks would be in the market for Park. What can you say? I guess the Phils tried— andwhysee
- Apparantly some of you have not been following this situation or simply want to take a shot at Rube...Chan Ho Park REFUSED to sign with the Phillies because he wanted to start...His statement about wanting to sign with the Cubs to start or now signing with a "prestigious" club with an opportunity to make the WS only substantiates what we've been hearing all along...He wanted to start because it was culturally more honorable for him to do so...he didn't get anyone to bite on signing him as a starter so he went with the most prestigious team available, thus saving his honor...and for a lessor amount than what the Phils offered.— hope55
- good luck, park. hope you see how things work out.— illrhyme
- guess he ia a " can't beat em, join em" kind of a guy....good luck to him.— docboy
- weird, i was just wondering yestrday if chan ho had ever signed..yes, his agent screwed up by not keeping it real with Chan HO and telling him the truth that Chan HO stinks as a starter and nobody would really want him in their rotation... but i can think of worse bad results than making a million bucks and playing for the Yankees.... nice move for the stinking yanks— jim715
- Comment removed.
- mainsteeet - because everyone in Korea uses YEN rather than WON? Genius!— mebphila
Whiney frontrunner. Reminds me of that Czeck hockey player...2 years ago a FA signing helped the Penguins get to the finals. That offseason, he signed with the Red Wings...the team that beat the Penguins in the finals. The 2 teams met last year to play for the Stanley Cup. Didn't work out too well for the Czeck player again. Funny, I don't remember his name! For real.— road515- hope55, good stereotyping there. "Culturally more honorable" to start? Culture had nothing to do with it, unless "culture" is his desire to have a regular schedule more easily followed in Korea. Park wanted to start. That's not cultural; it's individual. When Brett Myers preferred to close rather than to start, was that cultural?— Bartleby
