It is still too early for Ryu Hyun-jin (36), who is becoming a free agent, to return to Korea.
The Toronto Blue Jays lost their second straight game to the Minnesota Twins in the Wild Card Series on the 5th (Korean time), and Ryu Hyun-jin’s season came to an end. Ryu Hyun-jin’s fall baseball season, which was preparing for the next series, ended without him being able to throw a single ball, but evaluation of his free agency value begins now. His four-year, $80 million contract with Toronto has expired.
The possibility of his return to Korea was also raised, but according to Canada’s Sports Net, Ryu Hyun-jin expressed his intention to remain in the United States, saying, “I want to sign with a major league team.” His home team, the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO League, also flew to Toronto after general manager Son Hyuk completed the KBO general manager workshop held in the U.S. last August, watched Ryu Hyun-jin’s return game, and made secret contact with him.
Hanwha has also been keeping a close eye on Ryu Hyun-jin’s situation and checking for the possibility of his return, but for now, remaining in the major leagues is the priority. Ryu Hyun-jin, who returned to the major league mound 14 months after Tommy John surgery, showed competitiveness this season with 3 wins, 3 losses, and an average ERA of 3.46 in 11 games (52 innings).
He was limited to less than 90 pitches for injury management purposes and was unable to pitch long innings, but his pitching content was stable. Tommy John surgery usually gets him back on track by his second year back. Although it is difficult to secure a long-term contract due to his age in his mid-30s, it is expected that he will be able to secure a short-term contract of 1 to 2 years.
Since his debut in 2013, Ryu Hyun-jin has recorded a total of 186 games (185 starts, 1,055⅓ innings), 78 wins, 48 losses, an ERA of 3.27, and 934 strikeouts in 10 major league seasons. He is a proven starting resource. His successful return in the second half also increased his market value. Ryu Hyun-jin’s name is not missing from the FA rankings.
The American sports media ‘Yardbucker’ also ranked the top 25 major league free agent players after the season on the 6th, and Ryu Hyun-jin was ranked 17th. He ranks 12th among starting pitchers, but is classified as a semi-in-demand free agent.
The media reported, ‘Ryu Hyun-jin, who successfully returned from Tommy John surgery in the second half of 2023, will enter the free agent market with that momentum. The veteran left-hander is considered one of the smoothest pitchers in baseball, and since his return, his average fastball velocity has been just 88 mph (141.6 km), but this has not been reflected in his earned run average. 토토사이트
He added, ‘The high FIP (ERA regardless of defense) and low strikeout rate are things that buyers should be careful about, but Ryu Hyun-jin’s wide pitch repertoire and elite control increase his floor.’ ‘Floor’, which means bottom, is an expression of a stable type with a low maximum but high lows.
Free agent starting pitchers ranked higher than Ryu Hyun-jin are 1st place Shohei Ohtani (LA Angels), 2nd place Blake Snell (San Diego Padres), 3rd place Sonny Gray (Minnesota Twins), 4th place Aaron Nola (Philadelphia Phillies), 6th place Yoshinobu Yamamoto ( Orix Buffaloes), 8th place Jordan Montgomery (Texas Rangers), 9th place Marcus Stroman (Chicago Cubs), 10th place Eduardo Rodriguez (Detroit Tigers), 13th place Seth Lugo (San Diego), 14th place Clayton Kershaw (LA Dodgers), 16 Above is Lucas Giolito (Cleveland Guardians). It is expected that an offer will come to Ryu Hyun-jin after their future decisions are somewhat decided.
Free agent starting pitchers ranked lower than Ryu Hyun-jin include 18th place Michael Waka (San Diego), 22nd place Kenta Maeda (Minnesota), 24th place Tyler Mahle (Minnesota), and 25th place James Paxton (Boston Red Sox).