While Ryu Hyun-jin (37), who is looking for a team ahead of the 2024 season, remains in the free agent market,
the San Diego Padres are also looking to reinforce their starting pitchers.
Ryu Hyun-jin is a veteran starting pitcher with a total of 78 wins, 48 losses, and an ERA of 3.27 in 186 major league games (1,055 ⅓ innings).
He debuted in the Major League in 2013 by signing a six-year contract with the Dodgers worth $36 million (approximately 47.3 billion won), and finished fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year Award voting
recording 14 wins, 8 losses, and an ERA of 3.00 in 30 games (192 innings).
Although he faced a difficult time after undergoing shoulder surgery, he had a successful career with the Dodgers 바카라사이트닷컴
recording 54 wins, 33 losses, and an average ERA of 2.98 in 126 games (740⅓ innings) over 7 years.
In particular, he had his best season in 2019. Ryu Hyun-jin performed well in 2019 with 14 wins, 5 losses, and an average ERA of 2.32 in 29 games (182⅔ innings)
ranking second in the National League Cy Young Award voting, and qualified as a free agent for the first time since his debut at the end of the season.
Ryu Hyun-jin, who left the Dodgers and went to the market, successfully signed a large contract with Toronto by signing a four-year contract worth $80 million (approximately 105.2 billion won).
Ryu Hyun-jin, who moved to Toronto, underwent his second career Tommy John surgery (elbow ligament fusion surgery) in 2022
but made a successful comeback last year, recording 3 wins, 3 losses, and an ERA of 3.46 in 11 games (52 innings). Ryu Hyun-jin
who recorded 24 wins, 15 losses and an ERA of 3.97 in 60 games (315 innings) over four years in Toronto
qualified as a free agent for the second time after the end of last year’s season.
Although he is not young, he is still an attractive starting pitcher on a short-term contract.
His former team, Hanwha, is hoping for Ryu Hyun-jin to return. However, Ryu Hyun-jin’s stance is that he prioritizes remaining in the major league.
There are still many teams in the major league free agent market looking to reinforce their starting pitchers.
San Diego, home to Kim Ha-seong and Go Woo-seok, is one of those teams.
American media outlet MLB Trade Rumors said on the 14th (Korean time), “Four of San Diego’s starting pitchers led by Blake Snell
who won the National League Cy Young Award last year, have become free agents. Snell, Seth Lugo (Kansas City)
Michael Waka (Kansas City), and Nick Martinez (Cincinnati) entered the free agent market and found new teams.
However, San Diego wanted to at least be with Lugo through 2024 and beyond,” he said, adding that San Diego offered Lugo a new contract.
Lugo is a right-handed pitcher with a total of 301 major league games (641 innings), 40 wins, 31 losses, 62 holds, 16 saves, and an ERA of 3.50.
He played as a bullpen pitcher for most of his career, but last year he switched to a starting pitcher in San Diego and showed good performance
recording 8 wins, 7 losses, and an ERA of 3.57 in 26 games (146⅓ innings).
Lugo signed a three-year, $45 million (approximately 59.2 billion won) contract with Kansas City in December of last year.
MLB Trade Rumors said, “San Diego offered Lugo a four-year contract before he signed with Kansas City last month.
San Diego was ahead in terms of contract years, but Kansas City had a higher average annual amount. Considering Lugo had a successful season last year,
it’s not surprising that San Diego would want to have him back. “San Diego is expected to have starting pitchers such as Michael King
Randy Vazquez, and Johnny Brito, acquired through the Juan Soto (Yankees) trade, entering the starting lineup, and if Lugo had joined, the starting lineup would have improved significantly,” he analyzed.
The media acknowledged, “In the end, Lugo went to Kansas City,” adding
“But the fact that San Diego offered Lugo a four-year contract means that there is enough budget for that.
This is a positive sign that holes in the roster can be filled before the opening game. “San Diego
which has strengthened its bullpen by recruiting Yuki Matsui and Woo-seok Ko
now needs to recruit a starting pitcher who can support the starting lineup,” he said
emphasizing the possibility of San Diego recruiting a starting pitcher.
Ryu Hyun-jin is a starting pitcher who can fill the role San Diego needs. Considering that San Diego offered Lugo a four-year contract
there is ample room for Ryu Hyun-jin to sign a contract of the size he wants. Fans are very interested in whether San Diego
which has actively recruited Korean players such as Kim Ha-seong and Ko Woo-seok, will be able to accommodate Ryu Hyun-jin as well.