Ahead of this season, Toronto recruited veteran right-hander Chris Bassett to fill a spot in the starting rotation. It was the intention to build the best starting lineup in the American League and challenge for the presidency. It seemed possible enough in terms of outward power.
Toronto’s opening rotation in 2023 was all players recruited within 2-3 years, except for Alec Manoa, who was a self-developed player and ranked third in last year’s American League Cy Young Award voting. Jose Berrios was acquired in a trade in 2021 and immediately signed a long-term contract worth 7 years and $131 million. Ahead of the 2022 season, Kevin Gausman (5 years, $111 million) and Yusei Kikuchi (3 years, $36 million) were recruited, and ahead of this year, another three years and $63 million were spent on Bassett.
However, there was one more player to return. It was Ryu Hyun-jin, the original ace of the team, who underwent elbow ligament reconstruction surgery (Tommy John surgery) in June of last year and was rehabilitated for a long time. In the situation of Ryu Hyun-jin, whose four-year contract with Toronto ends at the end of this season, some media outlets offered a gloomy prospect at the time of surgery, saying, “There may be no more pitching in Toronto.” However, Ryu Hyun-jin ran at a faster-than-expected rehabilitation pace and set a specific goal of returning in July this year.
In fact, there were no very specific plans until spring training. Toronto head coach John Schneider confirmed at the camp in February that “when Ryu Hyun-jin returns, he will join the starting rotation.” But he didn’t say who was missing. He didn’t even talk specifically about how he would utilize his six starting pitchers. It was because there was so much time left that it was impossible to predict. Basically, we had to check Ryu Hyun-jin’s rehabilitation status and whether he was healthy or not.
However, as Ryu Hyun-jin shows a pace that exceeds the club’s expectations after returning, Toronto may need to revise its existing strategy a little. First of all, while Manoa, who has struggled throughout the season due to balance hunting, has been sent down to Triple A to buy time to adjust, voices are growing that Toronto’s postseason front and the prospect of signing Ryu Hyun-jin after the season should be rethought from scratch.
Ryu Hyun-jin is showing off his appearance as a ‘pitching master’ after his return. It is only a fastball in the upper 80 mph, but it is phenomenal to see it combined with various pitches to deal with batters. He throws a four-seam and sinker, a 60-mph curveball, a 70-mph changeup, and a slightly slower cutter than a four-seam and sinker. There is even a ‘Kaljegu’ that can put different pitches in the same course, so it is impossible for hitters to predict the next pitch.
As a result, he threw 24 innings in the first 5 games, recording 3 wins and 1 loss with an ERA of 2.25, a batting average of 0.211, and a WHIP per inning of 1.00. He has not yet reached 6 innings, but this is in line with the bench strategy that does not want to force Ryu Hyun-jin. It was a pitching quality that could be expected to digest more innings when the body was fully relaxed.
Toronto’s concerns are now twofold. Toronto is struggling to advance to the postseason. As of August 31 (Korean time), it recorded 73 wins and 61 losses (.545), and is running third in the American League East Division. It is 10.5 games away from Baltimore, the leader in the district, and 9 games away from second place Tampa Bay. It is not enough to aim for the district championship. However, in the wild card race with a total of three cards, it is only 2.5 games away from Texas, the third-place team in the American League. It can turn around enough at the end of the season.
If Toronto goes to the postseason, it will participate as a wild card, and the selection for the 1st to 3rd games can be very important in a match without a back. Steve Phillips, a columnist for the Canadian sports network ‘TSN’ and a reporter in charge of Toronto, also said on his radio program, “Hyeon-jin Ryu’s return to normal is really good news.” should be lowered,” he predicted. Ryu Hyun-jin put the team in trouble.
While the inclusion of the team’s ace, Kevin Gaussman, is certain, other players, including Bassett, Berrios, and Kikuchi, are throwing well. However, it is Ryu Hyun-jin who has had the best performance recently. Phillips says he’s unsure of the issue himself, saying, “It’s better to have that issue (about who to pick) than to not know who to send there. It’s good to have a lot of players.”
At the end of the season, the contract with Ryu Hyun-jin also ends. If so, it is of interest whether Toronto will offer a new contract to Ryu Hyun-jin. Until now, that possibility was considered very low. Berrios and Gaussman have contracts with more than three years remaining, and Kikuchi and Bassett are also guaranteed next year. Here Manoa will return next year. You should also think about the position of the starting pitchers you are developing in the minor leagues.
However, if Ryu Hyun-jin plays like this, and if Manoa’s resurrection is not certain, a short-term contract can be an attractive option. Dan Shulman, a veteran caster of ‘Sportsnet’, also said, “Ryu Hyun-jin is a very sharp pitcher. He should not forget that Hyun-jin Ryu’s contract is over,” he said. You might think let’s call it. However, Ryu Hyun-jin is still showing that he can do it to 30 teams,” he said, looking ahead to the free agency front relatively positively.
First of all, it is urgent for Toronto to go to the postseason, then think about the starting lineup for the next postseason, and then decide what to do with ‘FA Ryu Hyun-jin’. It is a story that is still far away. However, if Ryu Hyun-jin had made a ‘so-so’ comeback, two issues that would not have been a concern at all continue to revolve around Toronto. In itself, it symbolizes that Ryu Hyun-jin’s comeback has been very successful.
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