The Boston Red Sox are aiming for Ryu Hyun-jin, 36, who has become a free agent for the second time in the Major League. The Boston Globe, a leading media outlet in the U.S. Boston area, said on Monday (Korea time), "What stumbling block does Boston have in adding a starting pitcher? Most of them are due to Yoshinobu Yamamoto (25) of the Orix Buffaloes."
After finishing the regular season last in the American League East with 78 wins and 84 losses in 2023, the Boston Red Sox has started to beef up starting pitchers in a massive scale. The Boston Red Sox had a 4.68 ERA (22nd in the league) and 774 ⅓ innings (27th), which was the lowest rank among 30 teams in the Major League, as the reason for their lackluster performance. However, the Boston Red Sox has yet to beef up a single starting pitcher despite the fact that more than a month has passed since the transfer window began. This is because the future of Yamamoto, who is considered the biggest free agent who can be the first starting pitcher even if he comes to the Major League right now, has yet to be decided.
As many big markets such as the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, and San Francisco Giants are targeting, the ransom expected to reach 200 million dollars (about 258.6 billion won) soared to 300 million dollars (about 387.9 billion won) at the beginning of the posting. Boston is also one of the teams that is aiming for Yamamoto, and the Boston Globe said, "According to Major League sources, Boston leaders have already met Yamamoto in California or will soon meet him."
The problem is that the Boston Red Sox have a slim chance to recruit Yamamoto. The possibility to recruit Yamamoto is getting smaller, but his future has not been decided yet, which is hindering the Boston Red Sox's plan to become a starting pitcher. The Boston Globe reported that few people in the industry believe that the Boston Red Sox will win the race to recruit Yamamoto, which is expected to reach 300 million dollars. However, the fact that Boston is still rumored to be involved means that they cannot be ruled out (completely), limiting other moves in the end.
While waiting for Yamamoto's decision, Boston already missed several mid-sized pitchers. Eduardo Rodriguez, who became an FA in Boston, recently signed a four-year, 80 million-dollar contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Aaron Nola signed a seven-year, 127 million-dollar contract with his original Philadelphia Phillies, and Sonny Gray signed a three-year, 75 million-dollar contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. According to the Boston Globe, not only the Boston Red Sox but also many of the top starting pitchers in the FA market felt Yamamoto was slowing down.
Still, we don't think we can wait and see. If we wait longer, we will miss everything. Unlike other teams, Boston needed to upgrade its rotation not only as the first starter but also in all directions, and Ryu was mentioned as a player who would soothe the regret of its lower rotation. The Boston Globe reported that if Boston loses in the race to recruit Yamamoto, there are several pitchers who can upgrade its starting rotation. "Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell are representative pitchers who can be positioned at the top of the starting rotation, while Shota Imana seems to be the third to fourth starters. Lucas Giolito is also an interesting candidate to buy low-priced pitchers as an inning player. Ryu is a candidate who, along with James Paxton and Sean Munaea, will strengthen the lower rotation."
Ryu Hyun-jin is also a good choice. He has ample experience with the American League East while playing for the Toronto Blue Jays over the past four years, and has displayed good performance at Fenway Park, Boston's home stadium, with three wins and one loss with an ERA of 2.00 and 13 strikeouts in 18 innings. Among the five home stadiums for the American League East, Ryu pitched the best at Fenway Park.
It is also positive that what Boston wants and Ryu's strengths match each other. Boston has not been able to handle enough innings in the back of its rotation this season due to injuries and sluggishness among its veteran starting pitchers. As a result, Ryu needs a veteran who can handle innings stably, even if his performance is not overwhelming, and Ryu, who is highly regarded for his excellent ball control and sharpness control, was the perfect fit.
In response to the news, another media outlet, Inside the Red Sox, said, "Ryu Hyun-jin is a very interesting name. He missed most of the last two seasons, but he started 11 games in the 2023 season and posted a 3.46 ERA. Ryu's coming will not solve all Boston's problems, but he is a solid veteran who can handle innings if he is healthy."
BY: 스포츠토토
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