Will the New York Mets reach out to “Korean Monster” Ryu Hyun-jin in the U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB). Again, Ryu Hyun-jin’s possibility to go to the Mets was mentioned.
The U.S. media “New York Post” reported on the 6th (Korea Standard Time) that “Metz is one of the teams confirming Chicago White Sox starter Dylan Seas, and Seas is still one of the most likely players to be traded, and the Mets are considering recruiting to reinforce the rotation,” adding, “Metz continues to keep an eye on left-handers FA (free agent) Sean Manaea and Ryu Hyun-jin.”
The media also said, “Mets remains in contact with Japanese left-hander Shota Imanaga. He reportedly wants a contract worth more than $100 million,” adding, “However, teams are expressing concerns about shoulder surgery in 2020.”
Currently, the Mets’ starting rotation is expected to compete for the remaining one spot with Senga Kodaly, Jose Quintana, Luis Severino and Adrian Houser. However, Quintana, Severino and Houser will become FA after the 2024 season.
Jim Borden, a columnist for the U.S. sports magazine The Athletic, said the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs, the Los Angeles Angels and the San Francisco Giants were the remaining teams in Imana’s bid. In fact, the Mets appear to want a pitcher other than Imana to make the starting lineup more solid, with one step back from the bid.
The Mets are one of the teams that have been frequently mentioned as candidates for Ryu Hyun-jin’s recruitment this winter, and their names have been frequently mentioned since last month. The Athletic stressed on the 23rd of last month that a veteran pitcher like Ryu Hyun-jin could be the same option as Jose Quintana, who was hired last winter for the New York Mets.
“Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the Mets’ top priority target in the offseason free agency market,” Sportskida, another media outlet, said on Monday. “With Yamamoto’s contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Mets need to find another FA player,” adding, “The Mets need a pitcher. There are still pitchers with cheaper options in the market. They include Blake Snell, Lucas Giolito, and Ryu Hyun-jin. If the Mets want to replace Yamamoto, Ryu is a moderate option. It will not cost much money to Ryu.”
“Last season, Ryu had three wins, three losses and an ERA of 3.46. He had some career difficulties in recent seasons, but if he maintains a healthy physical condition, he will achieve an excellent combination with Luis Severino,” the media said, recommending Ryu to the Mets, who need to strengthen their starting lineup.
The U.S. media “SNY” mentioned Ryu Hyun-jin along with Imana, Manaea, and Michael Lorenzen in an article titled “Four Starters the Mets Should Consider” on the 31st. “Ryu Hyun-jin has some risk of injury, but he was one of the most reliable and effective left-handers when he took the mound. As a veteran, he showed 3.27 ERA and 1.18 WHIP per inning during his 10 seasons in the Major League,” the media said.
“The 36-year-old pitcher clearly knows what he should do against big league hitters on the mound. The key is whether he can maintain his health,” the media said. “Ryu is one of the best mid-range pitchers left in the Mets. It could make much more sense to sign a one or two-year contract similar to Luis Severino, a right-handed pitcher in free agency.”
Rising Apple, a media outlet covering the Mets’ news, posted an article titled “Three FA players that the Mets need to sign as soon as possible, and two that need to be sent somewhere,” arguing that Ryu should be recruited. “Ryu Hyun-jin doesn’t give credibility to durability, but he has some advantages. It is something the Mets should pay attention to now. Even though he didn’t stay healthy, he was very good when he threw the ball,” the media said. 마카오토토
Ryu, who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers from his big league debut in the 2013 season to the 2019 season, signed a four-year contract worth a total of 80 million U.S. dollars with the Toronto Blue Jays ahead of the 2020 season. Despite sluggishness and injury, Ryu showed his true value and ended his four-year companionship with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Feeling abnormal after the game against the Chicago White Sox on June 2, 2022, Ryu underwent Tommy John surgery to connect his elbow ligaments and underwent rehabilitation process for more than a year. Ryu threw his first bullpen session in late May 2023, and gradually improved his physical condition by pitching live in June and taking the mound as rehabilitation in July. Then, he made his return to the big league for the first time in exactly one year and two months by starting a home game against the Baltimore Orioles on August 2.
Ryu, who reported his first comeback win against the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 14, continued his smooth trend by harvesting three wins in August alone, and continued to play rotation until the end of the season. However, he failed to add a win in six games, staying at three wins in this season. His performance in September (six games, 28 innings, two losses, and 4.50 ERA) was rather sluggish than that in August (five games, 24 innings, three losses, and an ERA of 2.25). The final performance of the 2023 season is 3 wins, three losses, and an ERA of 3.46 in 11 games and 52 innings.
Ryu, who acquired his free agent status at the end of last season, continues to agonize over the issue even after the year has passed. It seemed that he would need time before Ryu’s decision on his future course of action is made, but if expected, his destination will be decided around December. However, he had longer worries than expected. Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani and Yamamoto joined the Dodgers in the FA market, and the pitchers that were mentioned along with Ryu Hyun-jin completed the contract one by one. There is not much time left now.
Some teams, like the Mets, are considering recruiting players from outside, while others have completed building up their power. With the Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres, and Baltimore Orioles mentioned as candidates for recruitment, any team that wants to reinforce its starting lineup at a relatively low cost can reach out to Ryu.
