KBO star Koo Ja-wook hires US agent in pursuit of MLB opportunity: report

Samsung Lions star Koo Ja-wook has hired a U.S.-based agent in pursuit of a major league contract this offseason, a report said Friday. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com tweeted Koo has hired Jaron Long of Mako Corp. to represent him as the 33-year-old outfielder seeks a jump from the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) to Major League Baseball. Koo is fresh off winning the Korean Series MVP award after helping his Lions win their first KBO championship in 12 years. Koo batted 10-for-20 with a home run and six RBIs as the Lions knocked off the KT Wiz in five games in the Korean Series, even as he was playing through lingering effects of a hamstring injury. In the regular season, Koo won his first career batting title with a .371 mark and led everyone with a .458 on-base percentage. Koo also ranked among the KBO leaders in hits, doubles, RBIs and runs. In 1,466 career games, Koo has a lifetime batting average of .322 — the fourth-best mark in league history among those with at least 3,000 plate appearances — along with 201 home runs and 984 RBIs. Koo, who has only played for the Lions since his KB