Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto Blue Jays) will enter the free agent market for the second time after the end of this season. Aside from age and health issues, he was still highly valued.바카라
On the 23rd (Korean time), MLB Trade Rumors, a media outlet that mainly covers Major League Baseball (MLB) transfer news, ranked the starting pitchers who will be released as free agents in this year’s Stove League.
The media classified free agent starting resources as unicorns, top-order options, potential middle-order wildcards, and short-term options. Only Shohei Ohtani (LA Angels) was ranked as the highest-grade Unicorn, and the top ranked starters were Blake Snell, a teammate of Ha-seong Kim (San Diego), Lucas Giolito (Cleveland), Sonny Gray (Minnesota), and Aaron Nola (Philadelphia). ), etc. were mentioned.
Ryu Hyun-jin was evaluated as a mid-rotation pitcher. The media grouped him with left-hander James Paxton (Boston), who is one year younger than Ryu Hyun-jin. About Paxton, “There is no doubt about his pitching, but health issues such as Tommy John surgery (elbow ligament fusion surgery) have become an issue, and he turns 35 in November,” said one media outlet. “Most of this also applies to Ryu Hyun-jin,” he claimed.
The media explained, “Ryu Hyun-jin, who turns 37 in March next year, has an ERA of 3.24 over 1,048 major league innings, and is an ‘ace-level’ player who will be a final candidate for the National League Cy Young Award in 2019.” The media said, “Ryu Hyun-jin does not show the same velocity or strikeout rate as Paxton,” but gave a good evaluation, saying, “Based on his excellent command, he makes the batter’s bat spin even with ordinary velocity.”
At the same time, the media claimed, “It is difficult to imagine Ryu Hyun-jin receiving a contract longer than two years. A one-year contract is likely due to his age and injury history.” However, the media predicted, “If he signs a one-year contract, he will have to pay Ryu Hyun-jin a relatively large annual salary.”
Ryu Hyun-jin, who was out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June last year, underwent successful rehabilitation and returned to the major league mound in a home game against the Baltimore Orioles on the 2nd of last month. As of the 23rd, Ryu Hyun-jin, who appeared in 9 games this season, has 3 wins, 3 losses, and an average ERA of 2.62. He is performing well in his role as a starting pitcher, going 5 or more innings in 7 games.
In particular, the way he cooks opposing hitters even with a not-so-fast speed is excellent. According to ‘Statcast’, Ryu Hyun-jin’s average fastball speed this season is 88.4 miles (approximately 142.3 km), which is in the bottom 2% of the major league. However, he is above league average in exit velocity (87 mph), barrel hit percentage (5.8%), and hard hit percentage (31.9%). So far, it can be considered a successful return after surgery.
As a result, it continues to be highly evaluated locally. Keegan Matterson, Toronto manager for MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, praised, “Considering Alec Manoa’s situation and the limited depth of Toronto’s starting lineup, Ryu Hyun-jin’s return is very valuable.” Oakland’s Kevin Smith, who faced Ryu Hyun-jin on the 7th, said through the Associated Press, “There is a reason why Ryu Hyun-jin pitched for a long time. Ryu Hyun-jin’s changeup does not overwhelm the opponent, but he can throw it where he wants. This was accomplished well. “If that happens, it could be a difficult day for the other person,” he said.
In particular, there were many cases where people expressed surprise that they came back fine after undergoing the second Tommy John surgery. MLB.com said, “It usually takes a while for pitchers to get back on track after undergoing Tommy John surgery. But not Ryu Hyun-jin.” The media said, “Ryu Hyun-jin is one of three pitchers (approximately 21%) who succeeded in making a comeback among the 14 who underwent Tommy John revision surgery after 2021, and he pitched outstandingly in his starting mound.”
There are differing opinions regarding the size of Ryu Hyun-jin’s contract. The consensus was that he could survive in the major leagues next season. MLB.com predicted the possibility of Ryu Hyun-jin signing a contract for more than two years. The media claimed in early September, “It seemed unlikely until a month ago, but if Ryu Hyun-jin continues his current performance, he will be able to sign a multi-year contract with good financial terms.”
On the other hand, another media outlet, Bleacher Report, predicted, “If Ryu Hyun-jin continues to play only 5 innings for the remainder of the season, he will not be evaluated as worth more than 5 starters. It is also unlikely that a multi-year contract will be guaranteed.” However, he said, “If Ryu Hyun-jin can pitch more than six innings in his remaining appearances against Texas, Boston, Tampa Bay, and the New York Yankees, he will attract attention.”