BRADENTON, Fla. _ The Pirates and Jung Ho Kang's representatives are still trying to acquire the visa that would allow him to enter the United States and report to spring training, team president Frank Coonelly said in a statement Friday morning.
Coonelly also said the Pirates will not punish Kang until they have a chance to talk to him. The statement further codifies the lack of clarity regarding when Kang will be able to join the Pirates, and when they can count on his services on the field.
A South Korean court on Thursday sentenced Kang to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, for Kang's drunken-driving arrest in December.
"We look forward to meeting with Jung Ho as soon as he is able to travel to the United States and having a serious discussion with him on this issue and how he has and will change those behaviors that led to the very serious punishment that has been levied against him in Korea," Coonelly said.
Kang received a visa to play in the U.S. in 2015 and '16 despite two previous DUI arrests, which the Pirates said they did not know about when they signed him.
