Baseball-Pirates win bidding for Korean shortstop Kang

Dec 22 (Reuters) - The Pittsburgh Pirates have posted the winning bid for power-hitting South Korean shortstop Kang Jung-ho, Major League Baseball said on Monday. Pittsburgh has an exclusive 30-day window to negotiate with the 27-year-old Kang, who hit .356 with 40 home runs and 117 RBIs in 117 games for the Nexen Heroes of the Korean Baseball Organization. The $5 million bid is the second highest for a Korean baseball player, behind the $25.7 million bid the Los Angeles Dodgers posted for starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin in 2012. If the Pirates and player strike a deal, the Heroes will receive the $5 million bid, but if the two sides are unable to come to an agreement, Kang will remain with the Heroes and will not be eligible to be posted again until Nov 1, 2015. Right-handed hitting Kang is seeking a four-year contract worth $5 million a season, Yonhap News Agency said. (Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)