Ryu Hyun-jin may not be the same ace as he was in his prime… ”
An external club that may be interested in Ryu Hyun-jin (36, FA) was mentioned. This is Bae Ji-hwan’s Pittsburgh Pirates. Pittsburgh Rum Bunter expressed interest in Ryu Hyun-jin by making the above announcement on the 16th (Korean time). Pittsburgh selected Tyler Mahle, Frankie Montas, Luis Severino, and Michael Lorenzen along with Ryu Hyun-jin as pitchers who need to be recruited as near-misses in the 2023-2024 free agent market.안전놀이터
Pittsburgh is a representative young team in the Major League. However, this season, the team’s ERA was 4.60, ranking 11th in the National League. In particular, the starting ERA was 4.88, ranking 11th in the National League. There were no pitchers to feature except ace Mitch Keller (13 wins, 9 losses in 32 games, ERA 4.21) and Johan Oviedo (9 wins, 14 losses in 32 games, ERA 4.31). However, the two did not leave behind overwhelming results.
Pittsburgh is a team that could benefit in many ways if the experienced Ryu Hyun-jin joins. Although the overall tone is rebuilding mode, Ryu Hyun-jin’s price is not enough to have a significant impact on payroll. Ryu Hyun-jin’s efficiency may also improve if he is guaranteed a spot and prepares for the season. Considering that next year will be virtually the first year of his return after Tommy John surgery, there is a good chance that his pitching will improve.
Additionally, Pittsburgh has Korean multi-fielder Bae Ji-hwan. Ryu Hyun-jin may receive help from Bae Ji-hwan in offense and defense, and Ryu Hyun-jin’s experience may be helpful to Bae Ji-hwan, who needs to grow further. If Pittsburgh actually starts recruiting Ryu Hyun-jin, there will be nothing bad about him. A return to the National League is also a good scenario.
Rum Bunter said, “Ryu Hyun-jin has been absent for a significant period of time over the past two seasons. He underwent Tommy John surgery after six starts in 2022 and made a decent, strong comeback again in August 2023. The walk rate was 6.3%, but the strike rate was also poor at 17%. He hit 1.54 home runs per nine innings, which was 4% above his career average.”
However, Rum Bunter said, “Although Ryu Hyun-jin is not the same ace as he was in his prime, he is still solid. “He can play a role with an ERA of 3.80.” If a full-time starting pitcher’s ERA is 3.80, it may not be considered very good, but the nuance is that he is satisfied with just that much. Among Pittsburgh pitchers who started more than 5 games this season, Vince Velasquez (8 games, 4 wins, 4 losses, ERA 3.86) was the only one with an ERA in the 3-point range.Meanwhile, Pittsburgh is the first time Ryu Hyun-jin has actually been mentioned as a candidate for recruitment by an outside team ahead of free agency. Considering that there is always a demand for 4-5 starters in the free agent market, there is a possibility that they will become quietly popular.