There has been widespread interest in left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu, who has become even more of a prized commodity since he is now the only starting pitcher remaining within the top 38 players on MLBTR’s list of the offseason’s top 50 free agents. The current field of suitors appears to consist of seven teams, as listed by MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link), give or take one unconfirmed team and, of course, the ever-popular “mystery team.”
Heyman’s list includes several teams who have been already linked to Ryu at earlier points this winter — the Dodgers, Angels, Blue Jays, and Twins. The “mystery team” could be the Braves (who are known to some level of interest in Ryu, though perhaps only peripherally), Heyman guessed, though he doesn’t mention the Cardinals, who were said to be considering Ryu two weeks ago. Since that report, however, St. Louis added another pitcher in Korean southpaw Kwang-Hyun Kim, who came at a much lower price tag than Ryu (though, obviously, without the MLB track record). With Kim in the fold, it could be that the Cards feel their rotation mix is set, and Ryu is no longer a target.
The other teams mentioned in Ryu’s market are two new faces, as Heyman writes that the Padres and “possibly [the] Phillies” could have interest. While the two clubs have yet to be connected to Ryu this offseason, it isn’t surprising that either San Diego or Philadelphia would be looking in, given how both teams have been looking to upgrade their respective rotations.
The Phils already made one big splash in signing Zack Wheeler to a five-year, $118MM contract. However, Wheeler is only one addition to a pitching staff that generated 7.6 total fWAR (23rd in the majors) in 2019. Wheeler and Aaron Nola are a good top-of-the-rotation pairing, though the remaining options of Jake Arrieta and two of the Zach Eflin/Vince Velasquez/Nick Pivetta trio aren’t terribly inspiring, given how these arms all struggled last season. Ryu would be a nice addition to any staff, but he would especially help the Phillies keep pace with the other loaded rotations in the NL East.
Since the Phillies already have a projected payroll (just under $205.4MM, as per Jason Martinez of Roster Resource) that sits just barely under the $208MM Competitive Balance Tax threshold, however, it remains to be seen if the club is willing to surpass the threshold for another star player like Ryu. Philadelphia was reportedly looking to be more “opportunistic” with their future signings to avoid the tax, though the team could take the one-year hit while staying in the first level of tax penalties, which is a CBT number of less than $228MM. Arrieta, Didi Gregorius, and David Robertson all come off the books after the 2020 season, so the Phillies could duck back under the tax threshold after just one year.
The CBT isn’t a concern for the Padres, though payroll itself is an issue, as the club has reportedly been trying to deal Wil Myers’ contract for weeks. Despite having some level of financial limitation in place, San Diego has been looking for frontline pitching for over a year, mostly on the trade front given how the Padres have so many strong minor leaguers to offer as trade chips. The Padres have also explored free agent signings, and Ryu is clearly a known quantity after facing him for so many years in a Dodgers uniform. Adding an experienced veteran like Ryu to the young staff could make the Padres more open to move other younger arms (if not the trio of Chris Paddack, MacKenzie Gore, or Luis Patino) as part of future trades to bring salary relief, perhaps attached to Myers as sweeteners in a deal.
rnbmegood
Go to San Diego or Atlanta
bucketbrew35
The Phillies need both Ryu and Betances in the worst way.
ghostrobot
Needs every high priced free agent every year lmao trash franchise
AndyMeyer
Grow up
coach him
Hater
DarkSide830
shh, dont encourage FotestCobra
jorge78
I think it’s time for his nap and blankee…..
AndyMeyer
FELONY FRAUD!!
coach him
Ryu would be the perfect fit. Hope they get him
ben4ben
Atlanta needs to make this move right now before he goes somewhere else, if they sign him they would have one of the better rotations in the national league easily
samthebravesfan
and what are they going to do if their offense is garbage?
chippahawk
Come to ATL with JD and the Christmas wishlist would be complete.
bravesiowafan
They won’t open with a budget that big
802Ghost
They have money to spend. Buy JD is a priority. If they miss out on him, they’ll most likely trade for a power bat.
samthebravesfan
Dude, they don’t have enough money.
Francys01
Angels what are you waiting? Ryu is going to be signed by another club.
macstruts
What makes you think Ryu is going to be signed by any club other than one of the two LA clubs?
houkenflouken
Teams outside LA need starting pitching too. He is a FA meaning he can sign anywhere, even outside of LA.
jimthegoat
Money dude
macstruts
And what makes you think someone is going to offer more than the Angels. And since Ryu likely doesn’t want to move, it will have to be more.
jimthegoat
@macstruts you were saying…
Francys01
macstruts- It’s simple his ERA 2.32 and yes he made 29 starts.
Regi Green
Yea,what makes you think anyone would sign out of La? Haven’t you been paying attention,like how Cole was all but destined to go there,atleast before free agency started.
Francys01
Ryu was just signed by the Blue Jays. Case closed.
brucenewton
Yep Jays came through
towinagain
Only way Paddack, Gore or Patino are in a trade is for a known commodity, current All-Star. No way in friggin heck its part of a Wil Myers salary dump. Thats ludicrous.
jorge78
Which is why he said “…..if not…..”
nowheretogobutup
Nor would the Friars trade any of those three for Ryu, no way. Some team will take Myers for $8M per year and the Padres eat the balance let’s get it done AJ.
Miguel Jr
Everyone knows he’s staying in L.A. The question is where in L.A.
brucenewton
LA Jays
Eatdust666
You were saying?
Texassooner
Is Ryu a Boris client? If so that explains why Heyman is quoted so frequently in this article.
glassml
Yes the Darth Vader of agents represents Ryu.
trout27
Yes he is.
MountainBraves
The Braves need Donaldson and I doubt they can afford him and Ryu.
chippahawk
Braves would be better off starting the season with Ryu as their number 2 and Riley at 3b then signing donaldson and doing absolutely nothing with the rotation imho. As much I want donaldson back, Ryu gives them the 1-2 punch they desperately need. IF I had to choose one to get to the WS I’m going with the missing link that this rotation has been missing for the last 2 years they’ve made the postseason.
Appalachian_Outlaw
Ryu isn’t that level of pitcher.
Donaldson is way, way, way more important.
I’m fine with the rotation as is, and seeing what transpires there.
ghostrobot
Runner up for Cy Young wasn’t he? Pretty damn good player even if he was the second best on his own team
chippahawk
Office space: “yeaaaaa I’m just guna have to go ahead and disagree with you there….”
Did you not watch Ryu carve up the Braves lineup in the NLDS 2 years ago?? The Braves absolutely need someone like that who can shutdown a lineup other than soroka “on a CONSISTENT basis.” Everybody else right now is dependent on how their stuff is that given night in this rotation.
Keuchel was a decent gamble because he was Cy young and world series mvp but nowhere near the shutdown pitcher they desperately needed last year and he proved that. (Greinke was most definitely the guy to go get hands down though.)
If you want to win a big series you’re going with the guy that consistently backs up your ace and can fill in for him if injured like Kershaw so often has been as of late.
Again, I absolutely do want JD do come back but he’s just as streaky as Freddie is and they both hit the skids when it counted, injury or not aside. Who knows how long this juiced ball is going to stick around as well..
MoRivera 1999
Juiced ball is supposed to be gone this year.
chippahawk
What a tease..
ben4ben
I absolutely agree with you chippahawk
BSpar
I still go JD over Ryu. It’s a better long term outcome IMO. I think ALT can upgrade the pitching staff via trade rather than take the kinda risk Ryu may require. Again just my opinion.
ForestCobraAL
The Braves had plenty of money to sign both Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon.
Greg Maffei refuses to stop stealing the money.
“This is the third in a series of five articles, covering the top five highest paid CEOs in the U.S. Number three on the list is Gregory Maffei, CEO of Liberty Media Corp. (NASDAQ:FWONA), who made $391 million in fiscal 2012,”
Dr_Doom14
I cant see Ryu going East, or anywhere cold, but I can definitely see him with SD or back with LA. But I think the Angels really, REALLY need to land Ryu.
If they’re unwilling to give up Walsh for Kluber, I doubt they’ll be able to make any significant trade involving SP. It would be a bad business move by Arte to enter 2020 with the current rotation.
Mike's Trout
The Angels would of loved to send Walsh. I think you meant Brandon Marsh. Whatever the Angels offered I’m sure was still better than the reliever they got from Texas for Kluber. lol
jaysfansince1977
Well he did go East, and somewhere cold!! Welcome to Toronto, Canada Mr. Ryu!!!!
carlos15
The Angels could have signed three of Wheeler, Ryu, Kuechel or Bumgarner for what it cost them to sign Rendon all while needing pitching much more than offense.
macstruts
The Angels needed someone to hit behind Trout, and someone who allowed Fletcher to play 2nd base. For the price tag, I’m glad the Angels got Rendon.
angels fan 3
They would have had to significantly over pay to get Wheeler and Bumgarner
MoRivera 1999
I think the point still stands.
macstruts
I don’t think it does stand. MadBum wanted to pitch in Arizona. Wheeler would have cost so much, we could not have gotten Rendon. As far as Kuechel, They could have added both Keuchel and Wheeler, but Id rather have Rendon and Bundy and Teheran and Ryu.
Can the Angels wait until Ryu is off the market before people start complaining what could have been?
MoRivera 1999
“Wheeler would have cost so much, we could not have gotten Rendon.” – macstruts
Carlos15’s’ point was that you could have gotten “Wheeler, Ryu, Keuchel or Bumgarner” for the price of Rendon. It was INSTEAD of Rendon. Three pitchers instead of Rendon. All ended up being overpaid, but you could have overpaid all three for the price of Rendon. That was the argument.
macstruts
No we could not have. Wheeler and Keuchel are more than 40 million dollars a year.
Dr_Doom14
Wheeler wanted to stay in the East and Bum wanted to play for Arizona. But yes, Arte did what Arte does and that’s spend all of his money on position players with big names. It’s unfortunate.
The Rendon signing would make more sense with a frontline pitcher.
They wanted both Cole and Rendon, but stopped with Terhan and dropped the ball with the Kluber trade.
So, Ryu is the next logical choice. It’s not a gamble either, this guy is a frontline SP when healthy.
GeoKaplan
Nobody dropped the ball on the Kluber deal. The teams just didn’t agree on Kluber’s value, given his age and the fact he hasn’t pitched very much since 2018. His injury was a freak one, but also one which could leave lasting problems.
If the subject had been Clevinger, then there is a recent body of work to evaluate, but Kluber is more of a mystery. The return the Indians received—Billy Hamilton Jr, and a lotto ticket RP—provide some view into the level of offers the Indians received, versus what they might have asked for. If they had asked for Hermosillo and a live-armed RP, then the deal would have been done, but Marsh was too big an ask, and that is borne out in the returns the Indians ultimately received.
MoRivera 1999
“The return the Indians received—Billy Hamilton Jr, and a lotto ticket RP”
You mean DeShields and Clase? Clase is hardly a lotto ticket.
BSpar
IDK about that. Rendon is pretty much a fantastic piece to add. That is probably a better bet going forward than these second tier pitchers. I think the Halos are smart not giving out huge money on any of them minus Cole. But the contract he got is CRAZY money. Only time will tell if it’s worth it.
HalosHeavenJJ
Heyman drumming up the market for his boss’s last notable piece.
angels fan 3
Castellanos ?
99socalfrc
What are the Angels waiting for???
macstruts
gg, they are probably haggling about the 4th year. I’d be surprised if Ryu doesn’t go to one of the LA teams.
If the Angels miss out, then I think LA fans have a right to be upset. But I have a feeling a lot of trolls will rip the Angels no matter what they do.
imindless
@macstruts true in fact most rip angels because they are an easy target as the ugly stepsister to the dodgers. Oddly enough they have as many chips as the yankees do in the last 20 years and 1 more than my dodgers. Lol 2 of the highest payroll teams out there.
DarkSide830
untill they sign Rendon…oh wait
braveshomer
What happen to Ryu’s value? Wasn’t he one of the most dominant pitchers the first half of last year?…what tanked his value so bad?!
DarkSide830
there was no tanking. he simply always had an earning roof due to frequent injuries.
BSpar
Exactly. Totally on point.
GeoKaplan
Nothing not already well documented: He’s going to be 33 before Opening Day, he wants 3-4 years guaranteed, and his body doesn’t always cooperate with him.
Given the deals signed lately, his expectations would be in the $18M-$20M range per season. Not a good long-term investment, but then neither is Cole at ages 35-37 on his deal. It is just the way the business works.
nowheretogobutup
Rolling the dice for sure
Wilford Brimley
I don’t think Ryu would like Minnesota at all — too cold, zero Korean people. Then again, if they offer the most money, he could start his own community in one of the suburbs he’d likely live in.
Padres458
Korea is a cold place.
BlueSkyLA
Don’t confuse the man with a geography lesson.
Sky14
Yeah, fortunately baseball isn’t played in the winter.
jorge78
Padres do something already!
nowheretogobutup
Padres will pick up a second tier SP in late jan. 2020, we really need a good back up C who can hit and a 2B that can also fill in at SS when Tatis goes into the splits again at 2B
1738hotlinebling
angels gonna let him sign with the Yankees or somethin and they’ll be like oops,
Two days later
Jeremy Guthrie comes out of retirement , signs Minor league Deal with Angels, will earn up to 2 million $ if he makes camp out of spring training
imindless
How are the royals doing?
1738hotlinebling
Better than the dodgers this last decade
Finlander
Wilford is incorrect, Koreans in MN love it. Summers are nice. Lakes full of fish. No mudslides, wildfires, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, duststorms. Can play there, nice ballpark, go to warmer place for winter if needed. C’mon man! Twins need a good lefty. Record setting offense, flush farm, payroll space, 4 year deal (hopefully) w/opt out after 2, and AL manager of the year await you. You don’t need Hotel California.
BSpar
Tax rates…everyone forgets about these little things
Finlander
Are tax rates low in CA? Housing? Insurance? At any rate (no pun) I know a couple of great accountants in MN, and you wouldn’t believe what a MLB player can actually claim for tax deductions.
jaysfansince1977
Or he could go a tad farther south and sign in Toronto Canada!! Oh wait… HE DID!!!
VonPurpleHayes
I don’t believe the Phillies are going after Ryu, but imagine if they signed him? That’d put the top 3 2019 Cy Young candidates in the same division. Not to mention Stras and Soroka. NL East would be full of elite pitchers.
Vizionaire
eppler is looking for a catcher!
macstruts
Castro is not that expensive. I don’t understand why that has not already happened.
saintguitar
Whoever can guarantee the 4th year will land him.
canajay12
4yr/ 88 Mill to the jays if you can line it up so that the 4th year only vests if he reaches say 80 starts in 3 years or 28 in year 3.
I know most are probably thinking 2/40 but realistically in this market even 4/88 feels light for his production even given his age and injuries.
Finlander
Nice take, not an unreasonable number. Career stats show legit excellence, key is keeping him healthy. Twins may be gunshy about Ryu because they are experiencing the same type of talent/health contract evaluation with Byron Buxton.
nowheretogobutup
I think he’s good for two years and then its a crystal ball as to where he goes with his IL history.
VonPurpleHayes
Nailed it. Well done.
jasonlamarche
The day San Diego finally signs/trades for a SP and gets rid of Myers will be the happiest day ever because I don’t ever have to read about it again
nowheretogobutup
I keep harping on doing a major dump on Myers salary, Friars need to eat 60% of the annual salary and include Yates and a good prospect on a trade for a good SP..
Padres458
Why would they move Yates?
Mikha
Ryu’s change in 2019 is his health. It brought a dedicated trainer from South Korea and focused on building flexibility as well as muscle exercise. In case of injury. When he is healthy, he looks like an ace. His heyday starts in 2019.
BSpar
If the Pads want to move Myers, IMO it’s 1 of 3 ways. 1) bad contract for bad contract (unlikely) 2) Sell off the whole contract to a rebuild team and add in some serious (two top 5 talents plus) not likely. 3) Eat probably 30 mil of contract and give away some sweet talent. (Outside top 4 or 5 but still nice talent). Outside of that good luck. Option 3 is the most viable