Ryu Hyun-jin debuted professionally in 2006 after being drafted in the second round, first pick, by the Hanwha Eagles. In his debut year, 2006, he achieved the Triple Crown (most wins, lowest ERA, most strikeouts) with 18 wins, 6 losses, 1 save, a 2.23 ERA, and 204 strikeouts over 201 2/3 innings in 30 games. He won both the Rookie of the Year and Regular Season MVP awards, becoming the only player in the 42-year history of professional baseball to achieve both simultaneously.
He continued his astonishing seasons, leading the league in ERA twice and strikeouts five times, bringing 98 wins to his team over seven years, averaging 14 wins per season. His career ERA was 2.80. Ryu Hyun-jin was called the “Monster Pitcher” and completely dominated the KBO League as Hanwha’s ace. His KBO League career statistics over seven years are 98 wins, 52 losses, 1 save, a 2.80 ERA, and 1238 strikeouts in 190 games.
He also played brilliantly in international competitions. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he pitched a complete game shutout against Canada. He also started in the finals against Cuba, recording 2 wins, 0 losses, 13 strikeouts, and a 1.04 ERA over 17 1/3 innings. Thanks to Ryu Hyun-jin’s outstanding performance, Korea won the Olympic gold medal with a perfect 9-0 record and received military exemption benefits, drawing attention from the international stage.
After establishing himself as Korea’s top pitcher, he moved to the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball in 2013 through the posting system (private competitive bidding). At the time, the Dodgers paid a transfer fee of $25,737,737 (approximately 34.437 billion KRW) to Hanwha. Ryu Hyun-jin received a 6-year, $36 million contract (approximately 48.168 billion KRW). Upon joining the Dodgers, he immediately made it onto the opening day roster, becoming the first player from Korean professional baseball to go straight to the big league without going through the minor leagues. Ryu Hyun-jin has never played in the minor leagues since, except for rehabilitation assignments.
Even after advancing to the U.S., he adapted smoothly without a transition period. In his first season, he pitched 192 innings in 30 games, recording 14 wins, 8 losses, and a 3.00 ERA, finishing fourth in the National League (NL) Rookie of the Year voting. The following year, he recorded 14 wins, 7 losses, and a 3.38 ERA over 152 innings in 26 games.
After the 2018 season, Ryu Hyun-jin accepted a qualifying offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers (a system where the original team offers a one-year contract to an FA player, with the salary being the average salary of the top 125 highest-paid players in MLB).
He proved his choice was right. In 2019, Ryu Hyun-jin had a career-high season with 14 wins, 5 losses, 163 strikeouts, and a 2.32 ERA over 182 2/3 innings in 29 games. He achieved an unbelievable record of being first in NL ERA and also finished second in the NL Cy Young Award voting. His ERA was also the best in both leagues in 2019. Despite concerns about injuries, his value skyrocketed.
Subsequently, after the 2019 season, he signed a 4-year, $80 million FA contract (approximately 107.04 billion KRW) with the Toronto Blue Jays. With the Blue Jays, Ryu Hyun-jin pitched well in the shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, recording 5 wins, 2 losses, and a 2.69 ERA in 12 games. The following year saw some struggles, as evidenced by his 4.37 ERA, but he played his part as a key starting pitcher with 14 wins and 10 losses.
From the 2013 to 2023 seasons, his Major League career statistics are 78 wins, 48 losses, 1 save, a 3.27 ERA, and 934 strikeouts over 1055.1 innings. The only Korean pitcher with more MLB career wins than Ryu Hyun-jin is “Korean Express” Park Chan-ho (51), who recorded 124 wins (98 losses). Ryu Hyun-jin also set the first Korean big leaguer records, including first in MLB ERA (2019) and starting in the All-Star Game (2019).
After the 2023 season, it was widely expected that Ryu Hyun-jin would remain in the U.S. after becoming a free agent again. Scott Boras, Ryu Hyun-jin’s agent, emphasized at the 2023 MLB Winter Meetings that “Ryu Hyun-jin will throw the ball in the U.S. next year, not in Korea.” Ryu Hyun-jin, who underwent ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery (Tommy John surgery) in June 2022 and returned to MLB in August 2023, also expressed his desire to stay in the U.S. Media reports even suggested he was close to signing with teams like Baltimore and San Diego.
Ryu Hyun-jin hoped to stay in the U.S. While leaving open the possibility of returning to Hanwha later, he expressed a desire to play more in MLB for the time being.
Ryu Hyun-jin himself told reporters at Jamsil Baseball Stadium during the Korean Series between LG Twins and KT Wiz in 2023, “My agent is looking into it. I think something about my future will come out in mid-December after the Winter Meetings. I’m waiting.”
However, it was difficult to find a team that met his desired conditions. Ryu Hyun-jin was reportedly looking for over $10 million per year on a one-year deal, but it seems no teams offered such terms due to the frozen FA market.
The stumbling blocks were his age, approaching his late 30s, and his physical condition. He had already undergone ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery on his left elbow in his sophomore year of high school and underwent left shoulder joint surgery in 2015 after joining MLB. He had further elbow surgeries in 2016 and 2022. In total, he has had four major surgeries during his career. Due to injuries, Ryu Hyun-jin only pitched 150 innings or more in four of his ten years in Major League Baseball.
Even when he signed the 4-year, $80 million contract with Toronto, the contract size was considered small compared to his 2019 performance of 182.2 innings, 14 wins, 5 losses, and a 2.32 ERA. This was also related to his injury history. Due to his injury history, he had to settle for a relatively smaller contract despite his incredible performance.
Even last year, he showed off his rusty control after returning mid-season, but his velocity slowed down, and his innings pitched decreased, raising concerns. His average fastball velocity in 11 MLB games last season was 88.6 mph (approximately 142.6 km/h), which was in the bottom 2% of all MLB pitchers. His maximum velocity was 91.1 mph (approximately 146.6 km/h). This is why he likely did not receive a satisfactory contract offer from MLB teams in this FA market.
However, Ryu Hyun-jin has had several successful comebacks after injuries. In 2015, he underwent surgery for a left shoulder labrum injury, missing almost an entire season. It was a critical injury that could have ended a pitcher’s career. To make matters worse, he underwent elbow arthroscopic surgery in September 2016. However, Ryu Hyun-jin miraculously made a comeback. In 2017, he went through an adjustment period, but in 2018, he recorded an amazing 7 wins, 3 losses, and a 1.97 ERA in 15 games.
Ryu Hyun-jin underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2022 but proved to be sufficiently healthy in the 2023 season. In the 2023 season, he performed well after overcoming Tommy John surgery, pitching 52 innings in 11 games with 3 wins, 3 losses, and a 3.46 ERA. This was a decent performance, even considering it was his return season from injury.
He still had the competitiveness to be a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for another one or two years. This is why he is still attracting interest in the market this winter. Jim Bowden, who previously served as general manager for the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals, said that quite a few teams would still want Ryu Hyun-jin. However, he stated that while Ryu Hyun-jin appears healthy, there is an injury risk, so he should accept a one-year contract, suggesting that Ryu Hyun-jin could receive a total of around $8 million for one year, including incentives.
Bleacher Report called Ryu Hyun-jin a “low-risk, high-reward veteran,” saying he was a scratch-off lottery ticket worth $10 million (13.3 billion KRW) annually. The American sports media outlet The Athletic mentioned “The Top 10 Remaining Players in the MLB FA Market” on the 14th, placing Ryu Hyun-jin at 8th. The East Village Times stated, “Ryu Hyun-jin has proven throughout his career that he is a proven starting pitcher. The only flaw is his constant battle with injuries. This could be a slight concern for the Padres, who want an innings eater.”
The speculation about Ryu Hyun-jin’s return to Hanwha became a big topic even in the U.S. The American media outlet Bleacher Nation reacted with surprise to the news of Ryu Hyun-jin’s return, saying, “It’s a bit surprising. Before his surgery, Ryu Hyun-jin was a very efficient Major League starting pitcher. Although Ryu Hyun-jin is old, at least Major League teams would have been interested…”
They continued, “While Ryu Hyun-jin has been in decline since 2020, he still shows enough to be a good pitcher in the big leagues. He wasn’t a fireballer to begin with. He only reached 91.6 mph (147 km/h) at age 27 in 2014. But Ryu Hyun-jin is a pitcher specialized in command and inducing weak contact, and he still had the ability to do so,” unable to hide their regret. According to the ‘Boston Globe’ (a Boston local media outlet), Boston hoped to sign Ryu Hyun-jin.
American media was slowly paying attention to veteran left-handed starting pitcher FA Ryu Hyun-jin. Teams in need of strengthening their starting rotation tended to prefer relatively inexpensive and experienced starting pitchers.
Luis Severino (Mets, 1 year, $13 million), Frankie Montas (Reds, 1 year, $16 million), Jack Flaherty (Tigers, 1 year, $14 million), Kyle Gibson (Cardinals, 1 year, $13 million), and Lance Lynn (Cardinals, 1 year, $11 million) were examples. These were players who were evaluated similarly to Ryu Hyun-jin, and they opted for short-term contracts, focusing on extending their careers. Left-hander Sean Manaea, who was seen as a competitor to Ryu Hyun-jin in this winter’s FA market, signing a 2-year, $28 million contract with the New York Mets, was considered a relatively good deal.
Recently, James Paxton, who was classified as a competitor to Ryu Hyun-jin, also found a destination. American media outlets, including MLB.com, reported on the 23rd (KST) that “The LA Dodgers have agreed to a contract with FA left-handed pitcher James Paxton.” The Dodgers reportedly offered Paxton a 1-year, $12 million contract (approximately 16 billion KRW).
Paxton has followed a similar path to Ryu Hyun-jin recently. He underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2021 and moved to Boston in 2022, but did not pitch in a single game that year. Last year was effectively his comeback season, but he did not achieve any notable results. Last year, he started 19 games for the Boston Red Sox, recording 7 wins, 5 losses, 96 innings, and a 4.50 ERA. Despite this, he received a 1-year, $12 million deal from the Dodgers. This is the background behind the increasing interest in Ryu Hyun-jin and the growing hope for him to remain in MLB.
As the options for short-term, lower-tier starting pitchers dwindle, interest in Ryu Hyun-jin is naturally growing day by day. Teams currently in need of starting pitcher reinforcements include the Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres, Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, and Pittsburgh Pirates. These are all teams that American media has at some point mentioned as potential destinations for Ryu Hyun-jin.
News broke that the Boston Red Sox acquired right-handed starter Lucas Giolito (29). According to MLB.com on January 30th (KST), Boston and Giolito agreed to a 2-year, $38.5 million contract (approximately 50 billion KRW).
Debuting in 2016, Giolito made 178 starts over eight seasons, recording 61 wins, 62 losses, and a 4.43 ERA. He peaked in the 2019 season with 14 wins, 9 losses, a 3.41 ERA, including three complete games and two shutouts.
The 2023 season was a challenging one for him. Giolito played for three teams, recording 8 wins, 15 losses, and a 4.88 ERA in 33 games. Giolito’s acquisition does not significantly impact Ryu Hyun-jin. However, what’s noteworthy is that Ryu Hyun-jin and Giolito are roughly in the same tier of mid-level players in this year’s FA market.
Furthermore, Giolito has not shown good performance in the last two years. Although he is younger than Ryu Hyun-jin, he still received nearly $20 million annually. This indicates a scarcity of proven starters.
In a recent FA ranking of 25 players from Yardbarker, Giolito was ranked 16th, and Ryu Hyun-jin was 17th. The outlet evaluated Giolito by saying, “Giolito’s decline over the last two seasons has been disappointing, with an ERA well over 4.00 after struggling with the Angels and Guardians. Reducing walks will clearly be the key to Giolito’s future success. His recent BB/9 approaching 10.0 leaves a lot to be desired.”
Regarding Ryu Hyun-jin, ranked 17th, the same outlet stated, “Ryu Hyun-jin entered the free-agent market with momentum after successfully returning from Tommy John surgery in the second half of 2023. This veteran left-hander is now considered one of the smoothest pitchers, and despite his average fastball velocity being only 88 mph since his return, it has not been reflected in his ERA. Ryu Hyun-jin’s strikeout rate is not good, which buying teams should be wary of, but his wide repertoire of pitches and elite control enhance his value.”
Recently, as Fangraphs, an American statistics website, listed starting pitcher rankings, contracts are being made continuously around Ryu Hyun-jin.
Lance Lynn and Tyler Mahle received around $11 million annually, and today, Giolito received $19.25 million annually. Fellow Asian pitcher Kenta Maeda signed a 2-year, $24 million contract (averaging $12 million annually).
It can be clearly understood that 1-2 year contracts are generally the norm, and an average annual salary of around $11 million is the approximate market price. Additionally, news broke today that Flexen, who previously played for Doosan, also signed a contract. Flexen reportedly signed with the White Sox for a guaranteed $1.75 million (approximately 2.27 billion KRW) for one year, plus a $1 million bonus (approximately 1.3 billion KRW).
Injuries were a variable. “Ryu Hyun-jin looks healthy, but there is an injury risk. So, he should accept a one-year contract,” and added advice, “If he pitches in the first half of this year like he did in the second half of 2023, it would be wise to sign with a non-postseason contender that could trade him at the trade deadline.”
