“He’s a candidate for re-signing…but expect a bigger deal for RYU” 108 billion aces, too much to hold onto for TOR again
Is it too much to ask for Toronto to keep Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto Blue Jays) after his contract expires?
MLBTR, which specializes in Major League Baseball transfers, predicted Ryu’s future in an article titled “Toronto Blue Jays’ Offseason Outlook” on Dec. 15 (KST).
On December 28, 2019, Hyun-jin Ryu held a grand induction ceremony at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada. The ceremony celebrated the arrival of the new ace, who signed a four-year, $80 million contract.
“I’m happy to be in Toronto, and I’m going to make the Toronto Blue Jays proud,” Ryu said in English and French, “Hello Canada, Bonjour,” in front of then-General Manager Ross Atkins, President Mark Shapiro, and agent Scott Boras.
The signing of Ryu was a stroke of genius. At least for the first year of his contract. He went 5-2 with a 2.69 ERA in 12 games in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, leading the team to its first postseason appearance in four years. He also finished third in American League voting for the Cy Young Award, the highest honor for a major league pitcher.
However, Ryu disappointed Toronto fans the following year when he suffered a severe slump at the end of his 162-game full-time season. He continued to struggle in 2022, going 6-2 with a 5.67 ERA before undergoing left elbow ligament reconstruction surgery in June, ending his season prematurely.
In 2023, the final year of his contract, Ryu went just 3-3 with a 3.46 ERA in 11 games. He didn’t return to action until August due to the aftermath of the surgery, and while he cruised through mid-September, he struggled in back-to-back starts against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sept. 24 (five runs in 4⅓ innings) and Oct. 1 (two runs in three innings). Ryu was not trusted by the bench and was dropped from the Wild Card Series roster.안전놀이터
Ryu will be eligible for free agency in the upcoming stovepipe. MLBTR writes, “Ryu has pitched well this year in his return from Tommy John surgery. He could be a candidate to re-sign with Toronto.”
However, there is a question mark over whether or not a deal will actually happen. “Considering how much money Toronto has invested in its starting pitching staff, Ryu may be looking for a bigger deal,” MLBTR analyzed.
According to MLBTR, Toronto will fill the fifth spot in the starting rotation next season with a veteran innings-eater. They are also considering promoting Ricky Tiedemann, a star prospect in Triple-A.
In conclusion, the consensus seems to be that Ryu will have to keep his eyes down for a spot on the veteran innings-eater list. Conversely, Ryu should look elsewhere.