The Blue Jays’ Ryu Hyun-jin, 36, who has become known as the “7% man” for his comeback from elbow surgery, will be back in a Toronto uniform next year. The local media has raised the prospect of his re-signing.
Blue Jays Nation, a website that specializes in covering Major League Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays, wrote on Friday (Feb. 15) that Toronto needs to bolster its starting rotation next season and offered three alternatives.
The first was the signing of Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga, who is set to knock on the major league door through the posting system after the 2023 season. According to MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, Imanaga’s team, the Yokohama DeNA Basestars, granted him full permission to post earlier this month. Imanaga, who made his debut in 2006, has a career record of 64-49-4 with a 3.17 ERA in 163 games (990⅔ innings) and is 7-3 with a 2.71 ERA and 163 strikeouts in 20 games this year.
Blue Jays Nation reported, “Toronto was one of 10 major league clubs to attend Imanaga’s start on June 13. “Imanaga, who has a 3.17 ERA in 990⅔ career innings in Japan, was a member of the Japanese team that won the World Baseball Classic (WBC). He started the final game against the United States and pitched six innings with seven strikeouts and a 3.00 ERA to help Japan win the title.”
“Imanaga, a 30-year-old left-hander, has a fastball that sits in the low-to-mid 90s, along with a splitter, cutter and curve. He has good command of his pitches and is able to control the strike zone.”
The second option mentioned was Ryu Hyun-jin. Entering the final year of a four-year, $80 million free agent contract, Hyun-jin Ryu returned from elbow surgery on May 2 and is 3-3 with a 2.93 ERA in eight starts. After pitching five consecutive games with two earned runs or less on Aug. 14 against the Chicago Cubs, the Blue Monster made a spectacular comeback with his first quality start (six innings, three runs) against the Texas Rangers on Aug. 13.
According to Blue Jays Nation, “Toronto could be looking to acquire a fifth starter in the offseason, depending on how Alec Manoa does. Alternatively, re-signing Hyun-jin Ryu, who is nearing the end of his four-year free agent contract with the Blue Jays, could be one option to bolster the pitching staff,” Blue Jays Nation wrote, referring to the issue of re-signing Hyun-jin Ryu.토토사이트
The final option is to develop prospects. “Toronto could include top prospect Rickey Tidman in its plans for the 2024 season,” the outlet said.
Meanwhile, Ryu, who has been linked to a re-signing, will start a home game against the Boston Red Sox on April 18, looking for his fourth win (and third loss) of the season.