Lee or Matsui

Well, considering that Matsui played in a far superior league, I think it would be easier for him to get acclimated. I don't even think any team will give Lee the opportunity to be their full-time first baseman. They'll slowly ease him in.

Matsui is making less of a jump.

I would second Chi-ster and CFiJ on the issue of who would adapt better as a hitter. Further, Matsui will bring much greater defensive skills to the mix, which means less pressure on his batting and also means he wouldn't have to hit as well as a first baseman to be more valuable.

Jim Albright

NPB is higher in the baseball heirarchy compared with KBO. Lee will take longer than Matsui to adjust to playing first base in MLB where he will be mostly judged for his offensive output in production and power numbers, which are hardest to produce in your first year in MLB. Also, Lee is said to be a mediocre defender.

Matsui will be judged for his defensive ability at shortstop, a more demanding postion, where he excels. Offensively, he will be asked to use his speed to get on base, steal, and score runs.

I predict Kaz Matsui to have a bigger impact in his first year compared to Lee Seung Yeop.

According to the Korea Times, Lee was not happy with the offers he got this past weekend. The Dodgers seem to be the only team that Lee likes, and if they sign him, they will send him to the minors to see if he is the real deal. They're actively pursuing Lee from Florida or Sexson from Milwaukee. Lee Seung Yeop would be their back-up plan. I really doubt Lee will see any time in MLB next season.

At this point, Lee would be better off signing a mega deal with the Samsung Lions or signing a one year deal to play in Japan to see where he stands.

It was reported in a Korean newspaper that Lee has been in the U.S. the past couple of weeks and no team has even hinted that they'd give him more than a million dollars a year. Most teams aren't even considering him a big league player yet, and saying they'd send him to Triple-A.

Keep in mind, the level of play in Korea is comparable to Double-A ball, Japanese ball is comparable to Triple-A.

I would argue that, defensively, Pro Yakyu is MLB level if not better. Offensively, it is just not the raw power game it is in the U.S. Probably more like Triple-A level. But keep in mind that a lot of "power" guys in the U.S. use a variety of dubious substances. This is hard to prove and will mostly be denied, but don't be fooled. I even find it hard to blame them because they have to put up with a demanding schedule and other pressures.