“A reunion between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Korean product is likely not in the cards.”
Blue Jays Nation declared on Wednesday that a reunion between Toronto and Hyun-jin Ryu is unlikely. While there have been a steady stream of nuanced reports that Ryu’s chances of staying in Toronto are slipping, Blue Jays Nation is the first to say it’s 0%.
Ryu Hyun-jin returned to Korea last week to rest. He expressed his desire to remain in the major leagues in free agency in 2023-2024. He made a successful return with a 3-3 record and a 3.46 ERA in 11 games. He added a slower curveball to his repertoire of four-seam, cutter, and changeup.
However, while he has a wide variety of pitches, his fastball’s slower velocity limits its ability to induce weak contact. He’s not going to be able to throw extreme command or elaborate borderline pitches every time, and sometimes he’ll need help from the plate to get them over the plate, which is why Ryu’s pitches have a high risk of being hit for long balls.
Still, he’s shown that he can still be a four- or five-starter in the big leagues if he’s not in great shape, or if hitters don’t respond to him very well. When he returned home last week, Ryu said he was happy with his comeback this year, and that he thinks he can improve his velocity next year. Indeed, there is plenty of room for improvement in velocity and delivery in his second year back from Tommy John rehab. The 78-win lefty is still competitive.
Blue Jays Nation wrote, “Hyun-jin Ryu is headed to free agency. A reunion between Toronto and the Korean product is likely not in the cards. Unless Toronto explores the free agent market, there is room for a fifth starter if they don’t want to unload Alec Manoa permanently.” A fifth starter could be found in free agency, but not Ryu.
If Toronto doesn’t lock up Ryu and other internal free agents, they’ll have some real ammunition. As Blue Jays Nation notes, “None of Hyun-Jin Ryu, Matt Chapman, Kevin Kiermaier, or Brandon Belt show any signs of returning. The Toronto front office will have some money to play with this winter.”
In fact, Toronto should time a major league call-up for left-handed prospect Ricky Tiedemann. They should also look at the possibility of a Manoa resurgence. Blue Jays Nation believes that if Toronto were to acquire a starting pitcher from outside the organization, it would likely turn its attention to another veteran four- or five-starter or international prospect. Otherwise, they’d look to bolster the bullpen or add to the lineup. 카지노사이트