Free agent Ryu Hyun-jin (37), who is trying to stay in the Major League Baseball, is expected to sign a short-term contract with his original team, the Toronto Blue Jays.
American media outlet Bleacher Report predicted Ryu’s destination under the headline “Resetting the Major League Baseball Starting Pitching Market Following the Signings of Shota Imanaga (Chicago Cubs) and Marcus Stroman (New York Yankees)” on the 14th (KST).
“Hyun-jin Ryu will sign a one-year, $8 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays,” Bleacher Report predicted, citing him as the seventh free agent starter to join Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, Mike Clevinger, Clayton Kershaw, Michael Lorenzen, and James Paxton.
To establish Ryu’s value, Bleacher Report went back to the 2019-2020 offseason, when he hit the free agency jackpot. “
Ryu headed to Toronto for four years and $80 million in the 2019-2020 offseason, and at the time, only Gerrit Cole (nine years, $324 million), Stephen Strasburg (seven years, $245 million), Zack Wheeler (five years, $118 million), and Madison Bumgarner (five years, $85 million) signed bigger deals than Ryu,” the outlet noted.
But even with the big contract, Ryu’s time in Toronto ended on a sour note. “
After finishing third in the American League Cy Young Award voting in 2020,
Ryu made 31 starts in 2021, but missed significant time with Tommy John surgery and rehab,
which ultimately limited him to 79 innings in his final two years in Toronto,” Bleacher Report noted.
The media viewed a one-year deal as the most appropriate contract size to reflect the reality of a 37-year-old Ryu.
At the same time, it was recognized that he could still be competitive in a major league starting rotation for a year or so.
“Ryu has pitched well enough since returning from Tommy John surgery last year that it’s surprising no team has asked him for a one-year deal,” said Bleacher Report.
“It’s surprising that no team has offered him a one-year deal yet, especially when you look at all the other mid-level starting pitchers that have been signed,” he said, emphasizing Ryu’s competitiveness for the 2024 season.
Ryu has been linked to multiple organizations, including the San Diego Padres, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, and San Francisco Giants, and is waiting for the right time. 온라인카지노
He’s 37 years old, but his ratings in the U.S., including Bleacher Report, aren’t bad.
He may be past his prime, but he’s still good enough for four or five starts in the majors.
His biggest strengths are his experience, velocity, and command of his pitches.
Toronto has a solid core of four starters in Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, Chris Bassett, and Yusei Kikuchi.
Add in 2022 American League Cy Young Award winner Alec Manoa as the final piece to the puzzle, and you have the perfect five-man rotation.
However, Toronto’s last two years have been marked by ups and downs outside of the one-two punch, adding to their bench woes.
Having an experienced veteran like Hyun-jin Ryu behind the plate would stabilize the lineup.
