“Ryu Hyunjin, continue to give positive reviews to the U.S. media… Will the search for a new home end in February?”

The U.S. media is consistently favorable to “Korean Monster” Ryu Hyun-jin, who has yet to find a home. Local media, including the official U.S. Major League Baseball website MLB.com , believe that Ryu is still competitive as a starting pitcher.

MLBcom classified Ryu Hyun-jin as an option to use him as a starter along with Michael Lorenzen and Mike Clevinger in an article titled “The Best Free Agent (Free Agent) Still Contractable” on the 13th (Korea Standard Time).

It may not be fancy, but any team can greatly help strengthen its starting rotation. Ryu returned from elbow ligament surgery and started 11 games in the middle of the 2023 season, posting an ERA of 3.46. “I did it,” he said.

Ryu Hyun-jin became the second free agent in his Major League career and hit the market after the 2023 season. His four-year $80 million (about 107.4 billion won) contract with Toronto expired ahead of the 2020 season, but he was expected to continue his career in the big leagues.

MLB Trade Rumors , a media outlet that deals with news of the Major League transfer market, reported on free agent starters who failed to complete their contracts on the 27th of last month, citing that Ryu’s strikeout rate has decreased compared to his peak in the 2024 season. Although there were negative views on staying in the big league, MLB.com had a different view.

Ryu Hyun-jin faced the biggest crisis in his career in 2022 when he underwent elbow ligament joint surgery (Tommy John surgery), but his recovery was smooth as he succeeded in returning to the Major League in August last year.

Ryu went 3-3 with a 3.46 ERA in 52 innings in 11 games during the 2023 season. His return was considered a success, and he helped Toronto advance to the postseason by winning the wild-card race at the end of the regular season.

Ryu’s fastball speed has significantly decreased compared to his heyday. However, he has maintained the competitiveness of starting pitchers in the Major League based on his stable ball control, diverse breaking balls, and outstanding game management despite his low 140-kilometer fastball.

Scott Boras, Ryu Hyun-jin’s agent, also expressed confidence when asked about Ryu Hyun-jin at a meeting of heads of 30 major league teams in Scottsdale, Arizona, last November, saying, “There is a lot of interest from big league teams.”

However, Ryu has yet to find a team even at the moment when spring training for 30 Major League teams is imminent. He also had a strong relationship with the New York Mets in the early days of the stove league, but no news of his recruitment has been heard.

The U.S. media also predicted the possibility of signing contracts with the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres, which need to strengthen the starting lineup, but no specific move was made. A scenario of staying in Toronto was also raised, but nothing happened. 안전놀이터