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Twins sign Korean first baseman Byung-ho Park to four-year deal

Power gets paid on the free-agent market. While the game has changed since the steroid era, it's clear that the long ball still reigns supreme. Problem is, not every team can afford to pay for elite power on the market. Some clubs, like the Minnesota Twins, have to find more creative, cheaper ways to bring in sluggers.

Enter Byung-ho Park. The 29-year-old Korean first baseman inked a four-year, $12 million deal with the Twins on Tuesday, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports. Minnesota won the rights to negotiate with Park by submitting a $12.85 million bid via the Korean Baseball Organization's posting system.

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Park's numbers in the KBO are eye-popping. Last season, Park hit .343/.436/.714, with 53 home runs over 622 plate appearances. It was the second straight season Park topped 50 homers. That performance led to Park being listed as Jeff Passan's 24th best free-agent this offseason.

[Related: David Price reportedly agrees to seven-year, $217 million contract with Red Sox]

That said, the offensive environment in the KBO is insane, so there are some concerns about whether Park's numbers will translate to the majors. He struck out 161 times last season, and could be exposed to better pitching in the major leagues.

Park becomes the second position player from the KBO to come over to the majors, joining Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jung-ho Kang. Kang had a successful debut in the big leagues, hitting .287/.355/.461 before a knee injury prematurely ended his season. While Kang turned in a strong season, that's hardly a large enough sample to suggest that Park will be able to do the same.

In the end, that might not matter. The Twins are only paying Park $12 million over four seasons to prove he can hack it in the States. Even if Park winds up being a complete bust, it's hardly the type of deal that would prevent the Twins from making other moves while Park is still under contract. If Park is anything resembling a competent major-league player, the Twins just got an exceptional deal.

While the contract is great for the team, it highlights a major issue with the posting system.

Park essentially didn't really have a choice in his negotiation with the club. If he didn't find the Twins offer suitable, his only other option was to return to Korea for two more years. At that point, he would be a 31-year-old free-agent. That's certainly less desirable.

Because of that, the Twins don't need Park to perform all that well to justify the deal. And while the posting system is unfair and restrictive, at least Park gets to live out his dream of playing in the majors.

The posting system should probably be abolished, or at least undergo some massive changes. That doesn't seem likely any time soon, though. For now, the best thing Park can do is perform well. It will at least ensure the next player to come over from the KBO receives a better deal.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik