A bigger contract than Toronto… ”
Analysis by American and Canadian media shows that the probability of Ryu Hyun-jin (36, FA) remaining in the Toronto Blue Jays is significantly lower than the probability of a transfer. Of course, Ryu Hyun-jin’s retention is also one of the options in Toronto’s 2023-2024 free agent market, but it is by no means the most important task.
Next year, Toronto’s 1st to 4th starters will be ace Kevin Gausman, along with Jose Berrios, Chris Bassett, and Yusei Kikuchi. There are various options for the 5th starter, including call-ups for Alec Manoa and prospect Ricky Tiderman. There is no reason to catch Ryu Hyun-jin unconditionally.
Moreover, Ryu Hyun-jin is a pitcher with clear strengths and weaknesses. Many point out that it will not be easy to re-sign a 4-year, $80 million contract from 4 years ago. However, MLB Trade Rumors believes that Toronto’s environment could actually lead to an expansion in size if Ryu Hyun-jin signs a contract with another team.
MLB Trade Rumors said on the 15th (Korean time), “It is very unlikely that the top four starters will remain as healthy as in 2023, so some additional rotation help is needed. However, we have the luxury of a stable rotation.”
MLB Trade Rumors continued, “Gausman is a Cy Young Award candidate, and Bassett, Berrios, and Kikuchi have been solid all year. “In particular, Berrios and Kikuchi made a tremendous bounce back after struggling hard in 2022.”
Meanwhile, MLB Trade Rumors said, “Ryu Hyun-jin has performed well after returning from Tommy John surgery (3 wins, 3 losses in 11 games, ERA 3.46) and could be a candidate for a contract renewal. However, considering how much money Toronto has already invested in its starting staff, we can expect a bigger contract than Toronto.”먹튀검증
In fact, Gausman is getting $110 million over 5 years (~2026), Berrios is getting $131 million over 7 years (~2028), Bassett is getting $63 million over 3 years (~2025), and Kikuchi (~2024) (year) is a three-year contract worth $36 million. Their total amount is $340 million.
For this reason, it is difficult to set a large amount for Ryu Hyun-jin anyway, and if Ryu Hyun-jin signs a contract with a club that has a weak 4th and 5th line and low salary, he can expect a relatively good contract. Although MLB Trade Rumors did not clearly state it, it is interpreted to mean that AAV can be received slightly more than the total amount.
For Ryu Hyun-jin, it would be a jackpot if he could receive an annual salary of more than $20 million (about 27.1 billion won) as he enters his late 30s. In any case, the possibility of a breakup between Ryu Hyun-jin and Toronto is increasing.