Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu is expected to seek a multi-year contract this offseason.
In an article titled ‘Blue Jays’ prospective free agents ranked by likelihood of re-signing,’ Toronto fan outlet Jays Journal listed Hyun-jin Ryu as the sixth most likely to re-sign with Toronto, calling it ‘highly unlikely he re-signs’ and predicting that ‘he will seek a multi-year deal in free agency.
‘Ryu has been an integral part of Toronto’s rotation at the end of the season, and his ability to help the team win since his return in August has certainly exceeded expectations, and the quality of his pitching is a bonus. There are similarities to his 2019 and 2020 seasons, when he pitched at Cy Young level, but at 36 years old, it’s clear that there will be a downward spiral. It’s hard to forget the disappointing seasons he’s had since signing with Toronto.
While acknowledging that Ryu has been pitching better than expected since his return in August after undergoing Tommy John surgery last June, he predicted that Toronto will be very stingy when it comes to re-signing him.
In particular, he said that there was no alternative to a one-year contract. “If they incentivize him with a one-year deal, there’s a slight chance he’ll stay in Toronto,” the outlet said, “but he’ll want to have a stable job as he approaches retirement age, so he’ll likely demand a multi-year deal.
He went on to downplay the value of Ryu’s free agency, saying, “Based on what he’s done with Toronto over the past few years, (re-signing him) is a gamble that’s not worth taking.
Local media outlets are predicting a “one plus one year” deal with an option for Ryu. This is due to his age (he’s in his late 30s) and injury history, as noted by Jays Journal.
Justin Verlander signed a 1+1 year deal with the Houston Astros for $25 million guaranteed in 2022 with a $25 million player option for 2023 when he returned from his Tommy John surgery last year, but after winning the AL Cy Young Award last year, he waived his option and became a free agent again, signing a two-year, $86.66 million deal with the New York Mets.
Ryu made his first start on April 24 against the Tampa Bay Rays, giving up five runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. This was his worst outing since returning. He was hit by a whopping three home runs. It had been nearly two years since Ryu had hit three home runs in a game since August 27, 2021, against the Chicago White Sox.메이저사이트
Ryu, who threw his most pitches of the season at 89 on the day, saw his fastball top out at 89.4 mph, the slowest in his 10 games since returning. He also gave up a career-high three walks, indicating that his command and velocity weren’t as good as they should have been.
Whether we should chalk this up to a bad day or a sign of a continued downward spiral remains to be seen, but it’s clear that it will affect his free agent negotiations at the end of the season.
There are three options for Ryu after the season. He can either stay in Toronto, become a free agent, or return to the KBO. At this point, it’s too early to talk about retirement, as staying in the major leagues is a strong possibility.