MLB team bids $25.7M for South Korean lefty

Detail of the Arizona Diamondbacks logo behind home plate before the Major League Baseball game against the San Diego Padres at Chase Field on September 10, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Padres 6-5 in 10 innings. Christian Petersen/Getty Images/AFP

SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea’s Hanwha Eagles say a Major League Baseball club has bid nearly $26 million for a chance to sign pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin.

The Eagles said Saturday they have accepted a posting fee of $25.7 million for the 25-year-old left-hander. The major league team that submitted the winning bid was not revealed.

The Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers were among the clubs though to be interested in Ryu.

The winning bidder now has 30 days to negotiate a contract with Ryu, who was 98-52 with a 2.80 career ERA during seven seasons in South Korea. He pitched for his country on teams that won a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and reached the final of the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

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