Signing Ryu sends out signal Jays taking big steps forward
The impact of Hyun-jin Ryu’s arrival to the Toronto Blue Jays has the potential to be immediate and significant on multiple levels for the once-proud but currently rebuilding franchise.
But as much as the US$80 million the team spent for four years of service from the crafty South Korean starting pitcher figures to help the team in 2020, the signal the expenditure sent to the baseball world may ultimately make the payoff even more handsome away from the diamond and in the not-so-distant future.
So believes super agent Scott Boras, who was on hand at the Rogers Centre on Friday as the 32-year-old left-hander was officially introduced as the jewel signing of a busy off-season for the Jays’ front office.
And Boras, whose clients are among the elite of Major League
Baseball, believes the Ryu signing, coupled with the Jays’ impressive youth movement, will have an ongoing impact soon.
“I think in next year’s round of free agency there are going to be people looking at this team a lot differently than they did two years ago,” Boras said, referring in part to his past comments that were sharply critical of owner Rogers Communications’ approach to rebuilding the team on the cheap.
“It’s the kind of thing where looking at a pitcher who has the ability to really have the steering wheel on the game, having the dynamic to do it with the youth here, we really felt the components would synergize with the franchise.
“From the ownership perspective, it was very clear from our conversations with (team president Mark Shapiro) that the Blue Jays were ready to move forward and start building their fan base to come with the young players they have.”
Certainly getting back into the free agent game at an elite level is a positive sign for the Jays and a definite signal that the team means business going forward.
And cutting through the Boras bluster, it sounds like Ryu certainly sensed the appeal.
With his wife Ji-hyun-bae also in attendance, Ryu donned the Blue Jays jersey with No. 99 on the back that he’ll wear on opening day when he makes his Toronto debut as the undisputed ace of the team’s retooled rotation.
And then he spoke to his new baseball nation in his only English words of his inaugural press conference.
“Hello Canada. Bonjour,” Ryu said with a broad smile. “I am happy to be here and I’m going to make Toronto Blue Jays proud. Thank you.”
Later, Ryu talked about the appeal of coming to Toronto, who won out over multiple suitors including the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he’s played all six of his MLB seasons.
“At the conclusion of the season, Toronto was interested in me from the get-go, and I really liked that, that Toronto was so engaged,” Ryu said through a translator. “Then in researching the team, I saw that the team was very talented, a lot of young players. By joining this team, I (could help) make it better and make Toronto competitive again.”
Boras believes the latter point was a major deciding factor for his client. Perhaps more importantly, however, he believes Ryu will help fast-track the development of promising young position player stars such as Vlad Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio.
Meanwhile, it was clear from the outset of the off-season that the Jays were serious about Ryu. In fact, it was rare that a week went by in which general manager Ross Atkins wasn’t in contact with Boras, who relayed that enthusiasm to his client.
And from the Jays’ standpoint, the more they investigated Ryu, the more they made their chase for the ace.
“The more we dug into Ryu and spent time learning about him, the more excited we got, and the more exceptional he became to us,” Atkins said of Ryu, whose 2.32 ERA was best in the majors in 2019. “He really stood out. His ability to command the ball so exceptionally well, get outs at every quadrant of the zone with four different pitches, insane athleticism ... it was something exceptional to watch.”