Starting pitchers have always been attractive items in the market, and in the 2023-2024 Major League Free Agent (FA) market, where starting pitchers are relatively scarce, there is a possibility that the scramble will become even hotter. This is why Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto) is attracting attention.
Ryu Hyun-jin, who had the best year in 2019, ranking first in the National League ERA and second in the Cy Young Award voting, signed a 4-year, $80 million (approximately 99 billion won) contract with Toronto ahead of the 2020 season, securing his first FA rights in the major leagues. The event ended successfully. And that contract ends with the 2023 season. After the 2023 season, Ryu Hyun-jin will participate in the second FA qualification event in the major leagues.
The outlook is not very positive. Ryu Hyun-jin, who showed good performance in 2020, went downhill in 2021 and 2022, and eventually received elbow ligament reconstruction surgery (Tommy John surgery) last year and is undergoing long-term rehabilitation. His poor performance, his age of 37 in 2024, and his long injury history, there are more major league clubs to hate.
But things can be completely different even in half a season. Ryu Hyun-jin is aiming for a comeback in July this year. If his rehabilitation ends smoothly and he can return before and after the All-Star break, he will have plenty of time to prove himself. He has a schedule that allows him to make 10 or more starts, and he has to show that he’s fully recovered from the aftermath of his elbow surgery. If so, Ryu Hyun-jin, whose elbow problem has been resolved, can become an attractive player once again.
‘FOX Sports’ also picked Ryu Hyun-jin, James Paxton, Kenta Maeda, and Jack Flaherty as ‘wild cards’ while dealing with the 2024 major league selection free agent market on the 19th (Korean time). They have one thing in common: they are recovering from injuries. There are too many players with too much uncertainty right now, but the evaluation can be different depending on the performance in 2023.
‘FOX Sports’ said of Ryu Hyun-jin and others, ‘All are in various stages of returning after undergoing Tommy John surgery’ and ‘They have been seen as one of the best pitchers in the league at different points in their careers. It is very difficult to predict how they will perform their duties when they return to full strength, but they are players to be considered and considered as a possibility,’ he expressed interest. 토토사이트
Elbow surgery is selected as a field that has been relatively conquered compared to the shoulder, and there have been quite a few cases of getting back on the normal track if rehabilitation is done well after surgery. Justin Verlander (New York Mets), who underwent elbow surgery at the age of 40 and successfully returned last year, is such a player.
Assuming that Ryu Hyun-jin’s decline in performance in 2022 stemmed from an elbow problem, his performance after the elbow problem was neatly resolved is worth looking forward to again. Ryu Hyun-jin is not a player who relies on speed, and there are several positive factors that make him continue his pitching level even when he gets older. If it shows off its good in the second half of this year, it is possible to get a minimum contract to survive in the major league market, and depending on the perspective, there is still a possibility that a team will offer a 2-3 year contract.