Starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu reached a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays late Sunday night.
BREAKING: Left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu and the Toronto Blue Jays are in agreement on a four-year, $80 million contract, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 23, 2019
The deal is for four years and $80 million. It’s the third-largest contract in total value in Blue Jays history, behind Russell Martin’s five-year, $82 million deal, and Vernon Wells’ seven-year, $126 million extension. Ryu will make $20 million a year for the next four years and won’t get a signing bonus.
Ryu’s deal brings agent Scott Boras’s deal total to more than a billion dollars, $1,016,500,000, in guaranteed contracts. Boras had negotiated deals for Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon, Stephen Strasburg, Dallas Keuchel, Tony Watson, and Mike Moustakas this offseason.
In 2019 Ryu was 14-5 with a National League-best 2.32 ERA. He only walked 24 batters and had 163 strikeouts. Ryu finished second in National League CY Young award voting to New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom.
Pitching was something that the Blue Jays wanted to improve this offseason. This year Blue Jays starters didn’t win more than six games. The Blue Jays rotation had a 5.25 ERA, which ranked 22nd.
Ryu is a good addition for the Blue Jays. He is the accomplished starter that the Blue Jays were looking for. Not only did he have a good year this year, but he has been good in his seven years in the United States. From 2013 to 2019 among pitchers who made at least 50 starts, Ryu ranked sixth -best in ERA with a 2.98 ERA, his 1.16 WHIP was 29th-best and his 4.05 strikeout-to-walk-ratio was 25th-best. Since the start of the 2018 season, Ryu has had a 2.21 ERA, a mark that has been bettered by only Jacob deGrom.
If the Blue Jays were to have any concerns about Ryu, it should be about his health. Injuries have been a problem for Ryu as sometimes he has a hard time trying to stay healthy. Ryu is one of five players that has gone on the injured list at least 10 times during a season in the last seven years. This year he was out for only 21 days due to his health. That is the shortest amount of time that he has been out since he was completely healthy for his first season in the United States in 2013.
Impact on David Price’s market
Ryu’s deal with the Blue Jays will have an effect on where Boston Red Sox pitcher David Price goes. The Red Sox are looking to trade Price to stay under the $208 million Competitive Balance Tax threshold in 2020. Price has three years and $96 million left on his contract with the Red Sox.
The Blue Jays have been talking to the Red Sox about Price. However, the Ryu signing probably takes the Blue Jays out of the running for Price, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Price pitched for the Blue Jays in 2015, so it would have been a reunion and a good fit.
The Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Minnesota Twins, and the Philadelphia Phillies were teams that were interested in Ryu. Some of them could go after Price now that Ryu is with the Blue Jays.
