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.
Chan Ho Park.. is bad luck..., a jinx.— Apollo Creed
Comment removed.- Defeat does not exist in the dojou...sweep the leg Phils.— cadilacjack
Ho knows baseball. He knows that the Yanks will be on big network broadcasts more than any other team and his countrymen in Korea will be able to watch more of him as a Yankee than as a Cub, even if it's in the pen. It's a shame his agent is an idiot and did have him resign with Philly when in retrospect it was a no brainer of an offer when you look at the money end.— Cakes- Krakatoa -- "Phiwwies"? What is Chan Ho, a Berenstain bear?— GoPhilsGo
- Thanks for clarification "bornto". Have a Happy Lent.— mick314
- road515....it was Slovak Marian Hossa— wesf23
- park was terrible, so it'd be more of the Phillies gain.— TRDSupra
- road515, it was Marian Hossa, who now plays for the Chicago Blackhawks.— Big Game
- i agree with apollo creed. chan ho jinx should be his name. we beat the dodgers, so he joins the phils. the yankees beat us, he joins the yankees. they can keep him after we beat them this year!!
- I don't get that decision by Park. He isn't going to start for the Yankees AND he is going to make less money. I would have loved to have had him back, but when someone is thinking the way he obviously is, what are you supposed to do?— bwillie
- road515- i think it was Hossa. now on the blackhawks, chasing the cup again. hope the same thing happens to park! park was good- but i get the sense charley didn't like him- and given that he seems to be on a new team every year, wonder if there's a clubhouse issue.— stopbooing
- Brilliant move by Chan Ho. Turn down 3 mil. for 1.2 as a reliever. No one ever said he was bright. The agent must be a dud as well.— farside37
- Chan Ho was a great reliever. He needed to swallow some pride and live in reality. His agent is a dum-dum.— weedman
- Basrtleby--- He has about a 0% chance of starting if no one gets hurt on the Yanks so I don't think the "wanting to start" argument works here.— trestont
