Will Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto Blue Jays), who made a comeback after elbow surgery and became the ‘7% man’, be able to wear the Toronto uniform next year as well? The local media looked brightly at the prospect of Ryu Hyun-jin renewing his contract, as he continues to show off his achievements every day.
On the 15th (Korean time), ‘Blue Jays Nation’, which specializes in news about the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball, emphasized the need to strengthen Toronto’s starting lineup for next season and suggested three alternatives.
The first was the recruitment of Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga, who decided to knock on the Major League door through the posting system after the 2023 season. According to MLB.com, the official Major League Baseball website, Imanaga’s team, Yokohama DeNA Bay Stars, gave permission for Imanaga’s posting earlier this month. Imanaga, who debuted in 2006, has career records of 163 games (990⅔ innings), 64 wins, 49 losses, 4 holds, and an ERA of 3.17. This year, he is active with 20 games, 7 wins, 3 losses, an average ERA of 2.71, and 163 strikeouts.
Blue Jays Nation said, “Toronto was one of 10 major league teams that attended Imanaga’s starting game on the 13th. “Toronto sent a scout to see Imanaga last June,” he said. “Imanaga, who has an ERA of 3.17 in 990⅔ innings in Japan, was a member of the Japanese national team that won the last WBC (World Baseball Classic). “He contributed to Japan’s victory by pitching 6 innings, striking out 7, and pitching with an ERA of 3.00 as the starter in the final against the United States.”
He continued, “Imanaga, a 30-year-old left-handed pitcher, uses a fastball in the low to mid 90s along with a splitter, cutter, and curve. He added, “His sophisticated command ability and ability to control the strike zone are his strengths.”
The player mentioned as the second alternative was Ryu Hyun-jin. Ryu Hyun-jin, who is entering the final year of his four-year, $80 million free agent contract, returned from elbow surgery on the 2nd of last month and is showing off his stability with 3 wins and 3 losses in 8 games and an ERA of 2.93. Starting with the Chicago Cubs game on August 14th, he pitched 5 consecutive games with 2 earned runs or less in 5 innings, but achieved his first quality start (6 innings, 3 runs) in the game against the Texas Rangers on the 13th, announcing the Blue Monster’s brilliant return. 먹튀검증
Blue Jays Nation said, “Toronto may need to recruit 5th starter resources in the offseason, depending on what Alec Manoa does. Alternatively, re-signing Ryu Hyun-jin, whose four-year free agent contract with the Blue Jays is coming to an end, could be an alternative to strengthening the pitching staff,” he said, referring to the issue of Ryu Hyun-jin’s contract renewal.
The final alternative was to foster promising talent. The media predicted, “Toronto is likely to include top prospect Ricky Tiedman in its plans for the 2024 season.”
Meanwhile, Ryu Hyun-jin, who is even being talked about renewing his contract, will start the home game against the Boston Red Sox on the 18th and aim for his 4th win (3 losses) of the season.