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"The Yankees have strengthened their players this offseason, but it would be reasonable to sign another contract," adding, "There is room for improvement in the starting rotation." There is a player that does not cost much. Ryu Hyun-jin, who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays, is the main character. How about Yankees signing a contract with Ryu Hyun-jin?" and raised his voice that the Yankees should recruit Ryu.
This is not the first time the Yankees have called for Ryu Hyun-jin. After the FA market opened, the Yankees were eager to strengthen their starting pitchers. There is "Ace" Gerrit Cole, but the Yankees' starting lineup is poor. Cole won the American League Cy Young Award with a 15-4 record with a 2.63 ERA in 33 games in the 2023 season, but other pitchers did not do their part.
Yankees starting pitchers ranked 10th out of 15 teams in the American League with an ERA of 4.44. He pitched 820 ⅔ innings to rank 10th. Due to poor performance by starting pitchers, Yankees won 82-80 games and posted a 0.506 win rate. He failed to advance to the postseason, ranking fourth in the American League East and fifth in the wild card standings.
In order to get back on the fall stage, the Yankees tried to recruit a starting pitcher. First, they aimed for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a Japanese pitcher who was considered the biggest FA pitcher. However, when Yamamoto chose the Dodgers, the Yankees had to go empty-handed.
Snell, winner of the 2023 National League Cy Young Award, is also on the Yankees' list. Snell had 14 wins and nine losses with an ERA of 2.25 in 32 games last season. However, there is reportedly a wide gap between the amount offered by the Yankees and the amount requested by Snell.
For now, the Yankees strengthened their starting rotation with Marcus Stroman, an FA pitcher. Stroman recorded 77 wins and 76 losses with a 3.65 ERA in 231 games during his nine seasons.
The batters made notable achievements. Juan Soto and Trent Grisham were traded with the San Diego Padres, and Alex Verdugo was also traded with the Boston Red Sox. However, the Yankees have yet to recruit an impressive starting pitcher.
Sports Illustrated said, "The Yankees entered the offseason with the goal of strengthening their starting rotation with outfielders, which was their biggest hole. The Yankees acquired Soto, Grisham, and Verdugo, which significantly improved their outfield performance. With the introduction of Stroman, their starting rotation also improved a little," adding, "We still need to strengthen our skills."
If Ryu were to wear the Yankees uniform, the Yankees would have what they call a calculated starting pitcher. Ryu is a veteran pitcher with extensive experience in the big leagues. Making his Major League debut with the Dodgers in 2013, Ryu ranked No. 1 in ERA in the National League in 2019 and was named an All-Star in the National League. He made a big mark in 2020 by winning the Warren Spin Award and making the second team in the MLB.
Ryu's heyday was in 2019. He played 182 ⅔ in 29 games, and posted 14 wins and five losses with an ERA of 2.32. Although he did not receive the Cy Young Award, he garnered 88 points by earning one first-place vote, 10 second-place votes, eight third-place votes, seven fourth-place votes, and three fifth-place votes. He ranked second. Notably, he became the first Asian player to receive the Cy Young Award, drawing attention.
Ryu, who became a free agent ahead of the 2020 season, moved his nest by signing a four-year $80 million contract with Toronto. Ryu also served as an ace in Toronto. In the 2020 season, the first year of his transfer, Ryu pitched 67 innings in 12 games, and recorded 5 wins and 2 losses with a 2.69 ERA. The Major League Baseball had a shorter season in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Toronto made it to the postseason thanks to Ryu's performance, and Ryu garnered 51 points overall in the voting for the American League Cy Young Award, receiving four votes for second place, seven votes for third place, five votes for fourth place and four votes for fifth place.
In 2021, Ryu recorded double-digit wins. He played 169 innings in 31 games and left 14 wins and 10 losses with an ERA of 4.37. He became the fourth player in the big league to post double-digit wins.
However, Ryu suffered from injuries. After complaining of elbow pain during the 2022 season, Ryu was placed on an operating table. He won two games and recorded an earned run average of 5.67 in 27 innings in six games, and was out for the season. Ryu put his everything on the line for successful rehabilitation, and returned to the mound in good health mid-2023 season. In his 11 games in 2023, Ryu had a 3-3 record with an earned run average of 3.46 in 52 innings.
Due to his rehabilitation and age in his mid-30s, Ryu did not have the same speed limit as before, but he dealt with Major League sluggers with his sophisticated ball control and sharper breaking balls. His performance surprised his teammates, too. Brandon Belt said, "Ryu Hyun-jin is a pitcher who throws balls. It doesn't matter what kind of pitches he throws on the mound. Ryu knows what to do. He raises his outcount fast. It's always fun to play defense behind such a pitcher."
The official Major League website MLB.com also said, "It reminded me of what it is like to watch Ryu's heyday. Ryu does not throw balls faster than other pitchers, nor does he have amazing pitching skills that make him stop walking. However, Ryu is still a threat to offensive batters." 토토사이트
Ryu Hyun-jin has yet to sign a contract with a major league club. It is known that not only the Yankees but also multiple clubs such as the San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers considered recruiting Ryu Hyun-jin. Attention is focusing on Ryu's destination.