“I could see him getting $12 million for one year with incentives and an option for a second year.”
Also of interest is how Hyun-jin Ryu, 36, of the Toronto Blue Jays, will fare in free agency in 2023-2024. He was reportedly leaning toward staying in the majors over returning to the KBO’s Hanwha Eagles this winter. In fact, he returned from Tommy John surgery a year and two months later to go 3-2 with a 2.65 ERA in seven starts.
Normally, when a pitcher returns from Tommy John surgery after a year or so, it’s often said that he needs extra time to get back to his best. However, Ryu has a slower curveball that shows off his pinpoint command and clever game management skills.
His age in his late 30s, lack of velocity, surgical history, and durability issues will make it difficult for him to sign a big contract. However, the general consensus is that Ryu should be able to extend his major league career, as there is still a need for four or five starters in the majors. After all, he’s one of the best pitchers in the majors.
Bleacher Report took a sobering look at Ryu on Sept. 9 (KST). “Ryu was a two-time Cy Young voting top-10 finisher, and there was a reasonable concern that he would never approach his 2018-2020 form, when he posted a 2.30 ERA in 56 games. He struggled in 2021.”
Bleacher Report continued, “Ryu has been surprisingly solid. But he’s only gone five innings in six of his last seven starts, which is his new normal. It’s understandable that Toronto is limiting him to five innings to get him healthy, but if this continues for the rest of the season, it’s hard to see him as more than a fifth starter in free agency. Conversely, a six-plus inning outing, even in one game, would make a huge impact.”
Blitcherport’s conclusion is that a multi-year deal is out of the question. “I could easily see Ryu getting a one-year, $12 million deal with incentives based on starts and an option for a second year.” That’s a 1+1 contract with $12 million guaranteed.
Top 10 Winningest Asian Major Leaguers of All Time
Park Chan-ho/Korea/124 wins, 98 losses, 4.36 ERA/1993 innings pitched
Hideo Nomo/Japan/123 wins, 109 losses, 4.24 ERA/1976⅓ innings
Darvish Yu/JP/103 wins, 85 losses, 3.59 ERA/1624⅓ innings
Hideki Kuroda/JP/79 wins, 79 losses, 3.45 ERA, 1319 innings pitched
Masahiro Tanaka/Japan/78 wins, 46 losses, 3.74 ERA in 1054⅓ innings
류현진/한국/78승47패/평균자책점 3.24/1037⅓이닝
왕젠밍/대만/68승34패/평균자책점 4.36/845⅔이닝
Hisashi Iwakuma/Japan/63-39-3, 3.42 ERA/883⅔ innings pitched
Genta Maeda/Japan/63-48-3, 3.96 ERA/851 innings pitched
천웨인/대만/59승51패/평균자책점 4.18/1064⅔이닝
Hyun-jin Ryu is 78-47 with a 3.24 ERA in 182 career major league games. He is tied with Masahiro Tanaka for fifth on the all-time Asian major league wins list. He needs one more win to pass Hideki Kuroda. It’s only a matter of time before he overtakes Tanaka and Kuroda, who are not in the major leagues.
Catching up to Darvish is the issue. Darvish, who has a six-year, $108 million contract, hasn’t been great this season and has had some recent injury issues. However, his contract is guaranteed for five years starting next year. That’s an absolute advantage in the wins race. If Ryu doesn’t get a multi-year deal in the upcoming free agency, catching Darvish with 103 wins will be virtually impossible.