Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto)’s tumultuous 2023 season came to an end on Friday when the Toronto Blue Jays were eliminated from the American League Wild Card Series. Toronto, which left Ryu off its wild-card roster, lost the second game of the wild-card series to the Minnesota Twins, 0-2, to end the season with a second straight series loss. Ryu, who signed a four-year, $80 million contract with Toronto ahead of the 2020 season, is officially a “free agent” with Toronto’s elimination. The best-case scenario would be for Ryu to sign with another major league team in the upcoming Stovrigue. To that end, Ryu underwent elbow ligament splicing (Tommy John) surgery, and after a grueling rehabilitation, he returned to the major league mound in August of this year. While he has yet to fully regain his velocity, he has proven to be a competitive pitcher, going 3-3 with a 3.46 ERA in 11 games, thanks to his precise delivery and game management skills. Most encouragingly, he has stayed on the mound consistently, never missing a start due to injury. The second path is to return to his original team, the Hanwha Eagles. He came to the MLB via the posting system (non-disclosed competitive bidding) when he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013, and should return to Hanwha when he returns to the KBO.”I want to return to Hanwha when I can pitch well,” Ryu said in an interview with a media outlet earlier this year while he was still rehabbing. Ryu hasn’t officially said anything about his future plans yet .However, there are some local reports that may give us an idea of what he’s thinking .”Ryu has expressed his desire to sign with a major league team,” Canadian Sportsnet reporter Ben Nicholson-Smith wrote on Twitter on May 5.There is local speculation that Ryu could be a starting pitcher in the majors for another year or two. This season, Ryu has shown that he’s worthy of being a starter, even when he’s only just returned from rehab. While he only had one quality start (6+ innings and 3 earned runs or less), the major leagues have been trending toward fewer innings pitched by starters in recent years .If he gets in shape this winter and is ready for next season, he could be a third or fourth starter. If the market demands it and the player is willing, we could see Ryu in the major leagues next year. His original team, Hanwha, is also exploring the possibility of bringing him back .However, realistically, it is not easy to sign a player who is willing to stay in the big leagues right away .There is talk in baseball circles that Hanwha will push for Ryu’s return to coincide with the completion of its new stadium, Baseball 스포츠토토 Dream Park, which is scheduled to open in 2025.
