After being convicted of DUI in South Korea, infielder Jung-Ho Kang has been denied a visa by the U.S. Embassy in South Korea and that may prevent him from joining the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 2017 season.
https://twitter.com/sung_minkim/status/845249982571556864
Kang has been arrested three times in South Korea and a report said Kang may have been convicted of DUI in a third country.
https://twitter.com/sung_minkim/status/845250587612536832
Kang’s eight month jail sentence has been suspended so he may not have to go to jail but his Major League career is on hold during this time. Depending on how long it takes for Kang to get his visa, the Pirates could (and maybe should) move on from Kang.
And speaking of the Pirates, the Pirates will have David Freese to take care of third base. They could allow Kang to play baseball in South Korea since he couldn’t play in the United States. Because the Pirates put Kang on the “restricted list” which is what teams can use for players who cannot play because of things like arrests, the Pirates don’t have to pay Kang and he won’t take up a roster spot.
It’s unknown what’s going to happen next and whether or not Kang will be able to come back to the United States. But given this has been a problem multiple times, maybe this is an opportunity for the Pirates to move on because there’s a good chance this could happen again.
