“Hyun-jin Ryu can pitch.”
That’s how NJ.com described four “under-the-radar options” for the New York Yankees on Wednesday. By under-the-radar, I mean under-the-radar players. In addition to Hyun-jin Ryu, the list includes right-hander Ryan Braazer, infielder Ahmed Rosario, and veteran right-hander Tommy Pham.
NJ.com writes of Ryu, “Since returning from Tommy John surgery in August, he has allowed two runs or fewer in eight of his 11 starts. His fastball averages 88.6 miles per hour, down slightly from the previous season. He finished second in the National League Cy Young Award voting in 2019 and third in the American League in 2020. His 3.27 ERA ranks eighth among active pitchers with at least 1,000 innings pitched.” 캡틴토토
“If I were the Yankees, I’d take a shot on Ryu,” the scout said. He’s going to try to sign him. “I know that when he’s healthy, he’s going to throw strikes and eat up innings. This year he came back from Tommy John surgery and pitched well once again. He has the ability to pitch. He changes speeds and keeps the ball down.”
The scout also said, “Ryu gives the team a chance to win every time he starts. He’s older, but he can still pitch. Now you might be able to buy him on the cheap. He doesn’t have the velocity he had earlier in his career, but other than that, it’s like watching Nestor Cortes (29, New York Yankees) pitch.”
Cortes, like Ryu, is a left-handed pitcher. Ryu is expected to receive about $11 million (about $13 billion) in guaranteed money. It would be ideal for the Yankees to have a proven starter in the back end of the rotation.
Ryu visited Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, where Game 5 of the Korean Series was played on Nov. 13, and predicted that a decision would not be made until mid-December. The one-on-one meeting is over, and his contract is likely to be finalized once the big names are signed.