Jung Hoo Lee's hit streak may force SF Giants into yet another risky contract

For the past few weeks even when the SF Giants are getting blown out, Jung Hoo Lee has at least given fans something to cheer about. He’s currently riding an 18-game hitting streak which could potentially force the Giants into a move they may not be all that eager to make.

This is finally the version of Lee the Giants were hoping to see when they signed him to a six-year $113 million deal. He’s slapping the ball everywhere and looks like his idol Ichiro Suzuki at the plate.

His numbers are really impressive as he’s hitting .338/.372/.457 with three home runs and 24 runs batted in. Over his last 15 games he’s hitting an absurd .559/.574/.678.

It has been awesome to watch especially since Lee is so easy to cheer for. Even before he went on his hot streak he already had his legion of Hoo-Lee-Gans cheering him on. Even on the road Giants fans will get the "Jung Hoo Lee” chant going. He’s such a marketable player who also helps the team’s goal of gaining more traction in South Korea to try to counter the stranglehold the Los Angeles Dodgers have on Japan.

Giants could try to re-work Jung Hoo Lee's contract

With Lee having a player option in his contract after the 2027 season, he could opt out of his deal and become a free agent if he so chooses. Obviously that’s a long way away, but if he finishes this year strong and has another solid year in 2027 he very well could decide to test the open market. That’s why it may not be a bad idea for the Giants to extend his contract or at least alter it. 

Lee is currently 27 years old and it feels like the next few years are probably going to be his prime, most productive years as a player. What if the Giants decided to change his contract to pay him $25 million through the 2029 season with no opt-outs? That would be a pay raise over what he’s currently making and would give him some more security.

It would also give the Giants a recognizable face as part of their core group of players going forward. Even if this year has been a disappointment it is easy to see Lee being a key part of a future playoff team.

There’s also some risk involved though. The Giants already have a lot of money tied up in Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, and Rafael Devers so tying Lee up for even longer would give them even less financial flexibility.

Plus, we know Lee can go ice cold just as easily as he can get hot. Early last season he looked like he was on fire and then had a massive summer swoon before coming on stronger at the end of the year.

He started off this season pretty cold at the plate and there was even some thought he could be platooned but now he’s turned it around. If the Giants did sign him to a deal that kept him in San Francisco for longer they’d have to live with some ups and downs similar to a Steven Kwan type of player who is also very streaky.

The Giants will have to weigh all those risks but there’s probably more benefit to keeping him around because he is such a fan favorite and a lot of fans would be really heartbroken if he departed after the 2027 season.

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