The shortstop is officially up for bidding among Major League Baseball teams.
Korean shortstop Jung-Ho Kang has officially been posted. As Marc Carig of Newsday lays out, Major League Baseball teams now have until 5:00 PM on Friday to submit bids. If the Nexen Heroes, Kang's KBO team, accept the highest bid, the winning team will have thirty days to work out a deal with the 27-year-old.
The Mets could, of course, use an upgrade at shortstop. While general manager Sandy Alderson has stated publicly that he is comfortable entering the 2015 season with Wilmer Flores at short, there are still legitimate concerns about just how poorly Flores would play the position defensively. He has not yet flourished as a hitter in the big leagues, though his minor league track record at the plate is pretty good.
If the Mets do not bid on Kang but want to sign a free agent, the pickings are slim, as Jed Lowrie signed a three-year deal with the Houston Astros earlier today. Asdrubal Cabrera, Everth Cabrera, and Stephen Drew remain on the free agent market. Thus far, the Mets are reportedly undecided on whether or not they will pursue Kang.