Ryu Hyun-jin, 36, Toronto, underwent Tommy John ligament reconstruction in his elbow in June 2022 and briefly disappeared from the public eye. The timing of his return was a question mark. There was a reason. It was tied to Ryu’s free agency status.
The typical rehabilitation period for Tommy John surgery is between one and one and a half years. Rehabilitation programs change slightly depending on trends, but it’s not easy to return to action in less than a year. Ryu had already undergone elbow surgery in high school and shoulder surgery in 2015, so he had to be more cautious in his rehabilitation. Therefore, it was predicted that it would be closer to a year and a half than a year.온라인카지노
If it was closer to a year and a half, Ryu’s Toronto career could have been over. Ryu signed a four-year, $80 million contract with Toronto ahead of the 2020 season, with the fourth year ending in 2023. That’s why local Toronto media speculated that “Ryu’s career in Toronto could be over,” and there was some reason for that speculation. But Ryu was aiming for a late-2023 return, and that’s exactly what he got.
If Ryu had returned in September or October, he would have had too little time to prove his health before becoming a free agent. Ryu will turn 37 in 2024 and is coming off elbow surgery. By returning in August to start the season, Ryu at least had time to prove that he was free of the aftereffects of his elbow surgery.
The New York Post also took a look at the Mets’ trade deadline on Wednesday, noting that there are several veteran pitchers who could help the team next year, including Ryu and James Paxton, and that Chris Sale (Boston), who has $27.5 million remaining on his contract through 2024, could also be a trade candidate.
The Mets, who recently added a ton of talent to their roster, had a disappointing season, trading away both Max Scherzer (Texas) and Justin Verlander (Houston). However, it seems clear that the Mets will challenge for a World Series title again next season, and will be busy in the free agent market in the process. Ryu Hyun-jin is also categorized as a player who can sign a one- to two-year contract.
Ryu is eligible for free agency after this season.
Ryu Hyun-jin camping with Hanwha players ahead of the 2022 season ⓒKyung Hye-mi Reporter
A lot will depend on his performance this year. If Ryu shows off his health, he could be an attractive buy. Ryu is not a player who can sign a long-term contract of more than four years anyway. Not many teams are willing to take a gamble on a player who is older and has only been back from elbow surgery for six months. It’s possible that Ryu could accept a short-term deal of one or two years, and if so, the team could mitigate the risk by signing him to a one-year deal with a higher average annual value.
Ryu has already proven himself in the majors, finishing second in the 2019 National League Cy Young Award voting and third in the 2020 American League Cy Young Award voting. As long as he can prove he’s healthy, he’ll be a market favorite regardless of his price tag. There are plenty of teams on the market that need to bolster their starting rotation, and if they can’t land an ace, there are plenty of teams that could be interested in Ryu in terms of cost-effectiveness.
If a team were to offer him a major league contract, it’s likely that he’d take one last shot at the majors. Ryu has stated that he wants to finish his career with his hometown team, Hanwha, but it’s likely that he’ll hold off on returning to Hanwha for a while longer as he’s still competitive in the major leagues. When he was rehabbing in Florida in February, Ryu smiled and said, “I’m going to make it short and sweet,” referring to his elbow surgery, which will allow him to play longer in the future.
A return to South Korea would likely come when no team offers him a major league contract, and when Ryu’s competitiveness in the league has dropped significantly. That time hasn’t come yet, so Ryu’s major league career is likely to continue for a bit longer. The remainder of this year’s schedule will be one measure of that.
Ryu Hyun-jin’s return to the KBO is likely to be a little further down the road, not right away ⓒKyung Hye-mi Ki