Jeon Hoon's countdown 'The time of destiny is approaching'

Even though Major League Baseball (MLB) spring camp is approaching, there is still no news about Ryu Hyun-jin (37)'s contract. Hanwha Eagles are still waiting for Ryu Hyun-jin’s answer. The grounds for not giving up hope are clear.

Hanwha coach Choi Won-ho met with reporters at the 2024 spring camp at Melbourne Ball Park in Victoria, Australia on the 2nd and said, "I don't know what will happen to the big player (Ryu Hyun-jin), but I am also waiting."

Hanwha is keeping an eye on Ryu Hyun-jin in this Stove League and talking to him on a regular basis. Transfer rumors continue to emerge locally, and the expected contract size is worth $10 million (13.3 billion won) per year. It is known that Hanwha offered the best treatment possible, but considering the salary cap, this amount is undreamt of.

Nevertheless, expectations for Ryu Hyun-jin's return still remain. Director Choi said, “Seeing as there is no news of a contract in the U.S., he has no choice but to keep looking forward to it,” and added, “I can only ground my expectations when I hear news of a contract (laughs).”

We are continuing to talk with Ryu Hyun-jin, but there is nothing we can be certain about internally. General Manager Son Hyuk is just repeating, “I don’t know,” and the club officials are all unconvinced.

Director Choi Won-ho is thinking about both when Ryu Hyun-jin is present and when he is not. If Ryu Hyun-jin returns to Korea, it would be helpful to make a decision as quickly as possible, but as long as Ryu Hyun-jin returns, the timing is not very important, and it is expected that whether Ryu Hyun-jin returns will have an absolute impact on Hanwha's power.

It is an extreme underestimation to believe that there is no demand. Ryu Hyun-jin's transfer rumor alone has already been mentioned in half of the 30 Major League Baseball (MLB) clubs. Players who have recently performed poorly, have had surgeries, or are old and would not be surprised if the aging curve hits are also finding new homes one by one.

It is not unrelated to the fact that Ryu Hyun-jin's agent is Scott Boras, who is notorious at the club. This is also consistent with the fact that pitchers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, who are Boras' other clients and are considered the biggest free agents, have yet to find new teams. This can be interpreted as a race against time to obtain the best conditions.

Among these, American media outlet Bleacher Report once again mentioned Ryu Hyun-jin on the 1st. Ryu Hyun-jin was introduced as the third of the eight free agent players remaining in the free agent market. The San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco Giants, and Baltimore Orioles were selected as potential teams for transfer.

The media said, "Ryu Hyun-jin turns 37 on March 25th. The last time he spent full time as an ace pitcher must go back to 2019," but added, "Ryu Hyun-jin, who was once an All-Star and ERA title holder, missed most of the last two seasons due to elbow surgery. "He's finally starting a normal schedule after being sidelined, and he was pretty good in Toronto last season. There's reason to believe he can keep pitching."

As one of the reasons for this, he cited a very low walk rate and a league-high exit velocity and ground ball rate, predicting, "Even if he pitches only 5 innings, a player with these skills will be able to strengthen the back of almost any team's starting rotation." .

Meanwhile, the media singled out San Francisco as the most likely destination. “This is because Ryu Hyun-jin met with Farhan Zaidi, president of baseball operations, in LA,” he said. “Also, considering Ryu Hyun-jin’s pitch-contact style, Oracle Park can provide enough breathing room.”

No matter how hard Ryu Hyun-jin and Boras try to get good terms, signing a contract after spring camp starts poses an element of risk in preparing for the new season. Most MLB training sessions begin after the middle of this month. The club that wants him will also want to finalize the contract before then. It is highly likely that Ryu Hyun-jin's future will be decided within two or three weeks. Should he return to Hanwha or stay in the big league? The fateful hour is approaching.

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