Local media reports that the possibility of the Toronto Blue Jays, who were eliminated early from the postseason, retaining Ryu Hyun-jin is very slim.
Canadian media Sportsnet reported on the 6th (Korean time) that ‘Toronto’s roster will soon face many changes. Kevin Kiermaier, Whit Merrifield, Brandon Belt, Matt Chapman, Hyun-Jin Ryu, and Jordan Hicks will be free agents, with Yusei Kikuchi and Danny Jansen set to become free next year, and Cavan Biggio, Bo Bichette, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. set free in 2025. . George Springer is on the decline, and there is no guarantee that Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassett will continue to play this season,’ he said, pointing out that ‘so far, the Blue Jays have shown little for this era of baseball.’
Among Toronto’s six internal free agents, the players most likely to re-sign are Chapman, Kiermaier, and Hicks. It can be said that they are choosing to part ways with Ryu Hyun-jin, who is the oldest member of the team and whose 4-year, $80 million contract has ended.
When Ryu Hyun-jin underwent Tommy John surgery in June of last year, Toronto classified him as ‘out of action even after that’, as he will not return until the second half of 2023. The likelihood of a comeback was not high, and considering frequent injuries and old age, there was an atmosphere of waiting for the contract to end quickly. When Ryu Hyun-jin returned last August and continued to pitch more consistently than expected, manager John Schneider openly called it a “bonus.”
Yahoo Sports also said, ‘If FA Chapman, Kiermaier, Belt, and Jordan Hicks leave, replacement resources are needed. With Ryu Hyun-jin’s contract expiring, Toronto will have a certain amount of financial space to replace these four players. ‘It is difficult to find resources of a similar level outside, and signing any of these four players is uncertain and expensive,’ he said.
If Ryu Hyun-jin, who received an average annual salary of $20 million for four years, is let go, there will be room in the payroll, which means that if any of these four players leave, there will be money to recruit replacement free agents. In other words, Ryu Hyun-jin is not eligible for contract renewal.
It appears that Ryu Hyun-jin will now seek a new contract with the goal of remaining in the Major League. He seems to have decided that it is not yet time to return to the country. Sportsnet reporter Ben Nicholson-Smith reported on social media on the 5th, ‘Ryu Hyun-jin expressed his desire to sign with a major league team.’
Ryu Hyun-jin is expected to pursue a multi-year contract of two years or more rather than one year. Agent Scott Boras can also be seen as focusing on his contract period and contacting clubs. A ‘1+1 year’ contract with options may also be accepted depending on the conditions. In other words, the intention is to pitch in the major league for about two more years.
The contract period is more important than money. The fact that the evaluation of Ryu Hyun-jin is not bad serves as토토사이트 a basis for increasing negotiation power. MLB.com reported last month, when Ryu Hyun-jin was continuing his stable pitching, that ‘It is difficult for Ryu Hyun-jin to sign a contract such as 4 years and $80 million.
Ryu Hyun-jin showed in 11 games after returning that there were no aftereffects from elbow surgery. In his 7 games, where he allowed less than 2 runs, he recreated ‘Vintage Ryu’, including various pitches, pinpoint control, skillful pace control, and leisurely game management. Although his velocity hasn’t yet risen to pre-injury levels, he could improve it significantly this offseason and in spring training next year. This is because we often see examples of increased restraint after Tommy John surgery.
At a farewell ceremony held by the Hanwha Eagles in early January 2013, Ryu Hyun-jin said about where he sees himself in 10 years, saying, “I will be throwing hard at Hanwha.” He has already spent 11 years in the United States. He may not have imagined at the time that his big league career could last this long.
Ryu Hyun-jin pitched for 10 seasons, excluding 2015 when he was rehabbing after shoulder surgery. Among Asian pitchers in major league career excluding 50 seasons, he is behind Chan-ho Park (17 seasons), Hideo Nomo (12 seasons), and Yu Darvish (11 seasons). If we add two more seasons, it will reach 12 seasons, the same as Nomo.