After a successful rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery, the Toronto Blue Jays’ Hyun-jin Ryu has been pitching well, and there are cautious speculations that he could become a hot commodity in free agency.

After making his comeback start against the Baltimore Orioles on April 2, Hyun-jin Ryu pitched four games before facing the Cincinnati Reds on April 21. He struggled in Baltimore, giving up four runs on nine hits in five innings, but settled down over the next three games, allowing four runs (all unearned) in 14 innings.먹튀검증

Most notably, he tossed five innings of four-hit, two-run ball against Cincinnati, signaling a complete return to the “Vintage Ryu” form he was labeled with in his first season in Toronto.

MLB.com commented on the game, “Hyun Jin Ryu is all the way back. Today’s game reminded me of Ryu in his prime. He doesn’t throw hard like some pitchers and doesn’t have an awe-inspiring delivery, but he is smart. He’s a very dangerous pitcher for young, aggressive hitters because he reads their swings and greed better than anyone else.

In four games and 19 innings pitched, Ryu went 2-1 with a 1.89 ERA, 1.053 WHIP, and a 0.214 batting average. It’s a small sample size, but the ERA and BABIP are the numbers of an ace on any team. Ryu’s career-high 2.32 ERA in 2019 compares favorably to his 1.007 WHIP and 0.234 BABIP.
The Toronto club tweeted a Korean phrase for Ryu’s victory on Nov. 21 (KST). Photo via Toronto Twitters
In four games and 19 innings pitched, Ryu went 2-1 with a 1.89 ERA, 1.053 WHIP, and a 0.214 batting average. It’s a small sample size, but the ERA and BABIP are the numbers of an ace on any team. Ryu’s career-high 2.32 ERA in 2019 compares favorably to his 1.007 WHIP and 0.234 BABIP.

For the rest of the season, Ryu could make seven more starts. He needs to improve his velocity, but that doesn’t seem to be a major issue. However, both he and manager John Schneider agree that he needs to increase his pitch count and innings pitched to 100 and 6 respectively.

If all goes according to plan, Ryu will be eligible for free agency again after this season. The four-year, $80 million deal he signed with Toronto four years ago is coming to an end.

Local Canadian media outlets are predicting that Ryu will re-sign with Toronto on a one- or two-year deal. If Ryu stays healthy and pitches like an ace for the rest of the season, the Jays might be able to get a little more aggressive with the length of the contract and the total amount.

If Toronto were to prioritize re-signing Ryu, it would be for two main reasons. One is talent, and the other is the positive influence he has on younger pitchers. The internal consensus is that Ryu is a “textbook” pitcher, especially when it comes to pitches, velocity, and game management.

If he proves to be good enough for Toronto to re-sign him, he could find a better deal on the open market. But Ryu still has a tag on his back. It’s the health question. Coming back from elbow surgery and playing a clean two months and three months, including the postseason, doesn’t make his injury history go away. He spent half his time in Toronto battling injuries.

Assuming he stays injury-free for the rest of the season, Ryu has spent only 52.0% of his days on the 26-man roster in his four years with Toronto, totaling 322 out of 619 days. In other words, he’s spent about half of his days on the disabled list. He was placed on the disabled list four times (right hip, neck, left arm, and left elbow), followed by the Tommy John surgery.

If anyone is reluctant to sign Ryu to a long-term contract after the season, it’s because of his successful comeback.

For reference, Gerrit Cole, who signed a huge contract around the same time as Ryu, is often referred to as a model free agent. Until this season, he had only taken 13 days of sick leave in the four years since signing with the team, and that was after testing positive for the coronavirus in August 2021.