Korean fans were thrown into confusion as the New York Mets of the Major League Baseball (MLB), which was considered a destination candidate for Ryu Hyun-jin (36), recruited fellow left-handed pitcher Sean Manaia.
The possibility of left-handed starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin going to the Mets has decreased. It is true that it has been greatly reduced compared to before. Local media such as the New York Post said on the 7th, “The Mets agreed to join Manaiah on a two-year contract for a total of $28 million,” and “The contract stipulates that Manaiah will opt out after the 2024 season (break his existing contract and sign another free agent contract). “It also included provisions that allow you to do so,” the report said. 먹튀검증사이트
Mania is a full-time big leaguer who has been a starting pitcher since 2016. In the 2023 season, he posted a record of 7 wins, 6 losses, and an ERA of 4.44 for the San Francisco Giants.
MLB.com said, “Mannaia performed poorly in the starting pitching at the beginning of the season, but showed an overwhelming performance after moving to the bullpen. In particular, after returning to the starting position at the end of last year, he maintained stability by posting an ERA of 2.25 in 4 games. “I did it,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Mets have been struggling to secure a left-handed pitcher. According to local media such as the New York Post, the Mets are known to be seeking to recruit left-handed pitchers such as Japanese pitchers Shota Imanaga and Ryu Hyun-jin.
It is certainly true that the possibility has been greatly reduced, but it is not confirmed whether the Mets have completely lost interest in Ryu Hyun-jin by recruiting Mania.
John Heyman of the New York Post said, “The Mets are also in contact with free agent Ryu Hyun-jin and left-handed pitcher Shota Imanaga. “The Mets may sign those players, but it is unknown whether these two pitchers are still on the Mets’ radar.”
The Mets previously acquired Luis Severino from the Yankees for $13 million and acquired Adrian Houser through a trade with the Brewers. It is true that the Mets have a luxury tax burden, so if they want to recruit starting pitchers, Ryu Hyun-jin is more likely than Shota Imanaga.
MLB.com reporter Mark Feinsand also said, “New York’s efforts to solve the rotation problem are not over. “There are still top-tier free agents on the market, including Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, but I don’t think they will sign those players due to their price tags.”
In other words, according to the sources, it is true that the possibility has decreased, but it does not mean that it has completely disappeared. For reference, the players that the New York Post argued that the Mets should recruit were Marnaia and Ryu Hyun-jin.
Another team is San Diego, which recruited Go Woo-seok. As expected, San Diego is a representative friendly team. And it is showing solid progress this winter. The goal is to fill the roster with inexpensive yet cost-effective Asian players. Here, San Diego hosts the Seoul Series. Ryu Hyun-jin, who has an outstanding influence in Korea, can enjoy the full effect of both skill and publicity effects. He originally played in the NL West and had Kim Ha-seong and Ko Woo-seok, so it was easy to adapt.
This also helps the team’s payroll because it can be terminated with a short-term contract.
Now, Manaiah’s contract has ended. Ryu Hyun-jin is in the same Boras division as Manaiah.
There is some speculation that Boras’ signing of Manaia with the New York Mets may have determined Ryu Hyun-jin’s destination to some extent. Boras is an agent with strong charisma. Lee Jung-hoo also presented Boras with the condition that he wanted to go to a “team where he can play stably” when deciding on a destination, and Boras made the highest amount of money within that.
The same would be true for Ryu Hyun-jin. Within the conditions presented by Ryu Hyun-jin, Boras is likely to choose the team that can receive the highest amount of money.
It is not yet the stage to discuss going to Korea. The starting pitcher’s market price in MLB is already $13 million per year. It is highly unlikely that Ryu Hyun-jin’s price will fall below $10 million at this point. This is because players whose careers and last year’s records were worse than Ryu Hyun-jin also signed contracts worth more than $10 million.
Now it’s the real Ryu Hyun-jin’s turn. Korean fans are focusing their attention on the actions of Korean Monster and the Devil’s Agent Boras.