It all started with the signing of South Korean infielder Ji-hwan Bae for a seven-figure deal in 2018.
Since then, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been busy on the continent of Asia.
Bae made his Major League debut in September. The Pirates have added four other higher profile players from Asia in the years since, including the recent big addition of Korean right-handed pitcher Jun-Seok Shim.
Shim is a big 18-year-old pitcher, who throws hard and has a four-pitch mix of all solid or plus offerings. We have a scouting report of him, along with several other recent signings.