News of Ryu’s contract is being delayed. Two major surgeries, old age, and one of the obstacles MLB teams cannot aggressively attack Ryu. Still, many would nod to the question of whether Ryu will be successful in the big leagues. Then, why is there no news of Ryu’s contract.
Ryu Hyun-jin, who played an overwhelming No. 1 in 190 games with 98 wins and 52 losses and 1238 strikeouts (ERA) of 2.80 for seven seasons without a major injury on the domestic stage, showed that he can work well on the U.S. stage as well.
The problem was his injury. Ryu`s four-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays worth 80 million U.S. dollars could have been further expanded had he not been injured. Concerns have become a reality. He was once again hampered by an injury in Toronto. He had elbow surgery and has not played 100 innings in the past two years.
Of course, he still seems to have no major problems in his performance. Though not as strong as he was in his prime, he returned to the team in August this year and posted three wins, three losses and an ERA of 3.46 in 11 games. He was disappointed by his limited ball speed, but he developed new weapons including ultra-low speed curves, displaying remarkable adaptability to the league. His crisis management ability was still remarkable.
After finishing the season, he became a free agent again. After returning to Korea, Ryu responded positively to reporters about his return to the KBO league. However, he did not specify the timing. His agent Scott Boras was able to confirm his exact intention. Boras nailed that Ryu will play in the MLB next year, not in Korea. We cannot clearly say the possibility of Ryu’s return to Korea. However, if the interests of the big league team that wants him match, it is clear that staying in the U.S. is a priority.
Even in the U.S., Ryu is still classified as a “veteran pitcher who can make full use of his skills.” Jim Bowden, a former MLB general manager and columnist, said in the U.S. sports media The Athletic on Monday that Ryu will receive about 8 million U.S. dollars in total for one year under his contract, including incentives, and mentioned the Kansas City Royals as his expected destination. 파워볼실시간
The biggest problem for Kansas City, which only posted a winning percentage of 56-106 this season, was its pitching staff, especially starting pitchers. None of the starters had 10 wins among the three players who played more than 100 innings, and Zack Greinke’s 5.06 ERA was the lowest. Bowden said Kansas City needs proven starting pitchers to continue playing and increase competitiveness. Regarding Ryu Hyun-jin, Bowden said, “Ryu Hyun-jin, who returned after surgery, had an ERA of 3.46 in 11 appearances and pitched less than three earned runs in nine starts,” adding, “He pitched five innings in six starts and threw six innings.”
Since then, local media in the U.S. have raised many possibilities of renewing contracts with the Boston Red Sox, the New York Mets, and the Toronto Blue Jays. The reason was similar to Bowden’s story. For a team with weak starting lineup, Ryu will be able to play his role as a third or fourth starter. Relatively cheap price can be an advantage.
On the same day, North Jersey in the U.S. said, “Yes, we are recruiting a veteran starting pitcher,” adding, “At a time of crisis when we have to sign a contract with a starting pitcher, not Otani or Yamamoto, the Mets signed a two-year contract with Ryu Hyun-jin to fill the rotation.”
Ryu is expected to fill the starting lineup, which is lacking in the Mets. The first is to give greater weight to Ryu’s joining the team than to convey this expectation. The U.S. sports media The Athletic and New York regional sports network New York also expressed similar views earlier. Why hasn’t the news on Ryu’s contract been reported? To sum up, it’s a matter of timing.
In the Stove League, it is common for big players to find new teams one by one after another. Everyone wants a big player, but if that doesn’t work out, they consider the next best option. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 25, who was evaluated as the biggest free agent, signed a 12-year contract with the Dodgers on Tuesday for a total of 325 million dollars. They are evaluated higher in the market than Ryu. Ryu has no choice but to wait more leisurely.
Hanwha, which is looking at him, is also upset. In the FA market, Ahn Chi-hong, an external infield resource, was brought in for a total of 7.2 billion won for 4+2 years, and Jang Min-jae was also caught for a total of 800 million won for 2+1 years. Through the second draft, veteran Kim Kang-min was also recruited to help the outfield, renewed contracts with two foreign pitchers, and a foreign batter signed a new contract with Jonathan Peraza. “We are now going to take a step back,” general manager Son Hyuk, who also recruited Jang Min-jae on the 21st, told Star News in a telephone interview, “We still have to wait and see how Ryu will do.”
The Hanwha Eagles has been in constant contact with Ryu Hyun-jin, but there is no way to do it right now. It is true that Ryu dreams of a beautiful finish in Hanwha, but he has a desire for a bigger league as a player right now, but he is not in a situation where he can satisfy himself in terms of salary. Although they may be hoping for a different ending, what is clear is that both Ryu and Hanwha have to wait silently for the end of the year and the beginning of the year, possibly even longer.
