The Exhibition Game is Starting Soon… When will ‘Korean Monster’ Ryu Hyun-jin Sign a Contract?
Kim Ha-seong (San Diego Padres)’s position this year has been confirmed as shortstop, and San Francisco manager Bob Melvin confirmed that it would be shocking if Lee Jeong-hoo (San Francisco Giants) does not play as the No. 1 hitter and center fielder in the opening game of the MLB regular season.
Choi Ji-man is aiming to re-enter the big league with a split contract with the New York Mets (a contract that differentiates between the major and minor leagues), and Ko Woo-seok is trying to make the opening day roster as a bullpen pitcher in San Diego.
Korean big leaguers are preparing for MLB exhibition games starting on the 23rd (Korean time) in their respective positions, but there is no news of a new home for Ryu Hyun-jin, who has been in the major leagues for more than 10 years as the ‘Korean Monster’. 파워볼
There are occasional reports that several clubs will offer a 1-year or 1+1 year contract to experienced left-hander veteran Ryu Hyun-jin, but there are no reports that negotiations have accelerated.
Ryu Hyun-jin’s agent is Scott Boras, who is considered one of the most resourceful players in the big leagues.
Among Boras’ clients, last year’s Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, slugger Cody Bellinger, left-handed starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery, solid third baseman Matt Chapman, and JD Martinez, a sophisticated and destructive hitter, have yet to find new teams.
Sports Illustrated (SI), an American sports media outlet, estimated on the 17th (Korean time) that the value of the top five Boras customers alone amounts to $800 million.
Even with the start of the regular season just around the corner, Boras is relaxed.
Time appears to be on the club’s side, but Boras, who is trying to get even a penny more, seems to regard time as his own.
Unlike Ryu Hyun-jin staying in Korea and waiting for good news, Snell is currently working out at the Boras training facility in Newport Beach, California, with the help of Boras division trainers and support staff.
Montgomery and Martinez are training at Boras’ facility in Florida, while Bellinger and Chapman are training at a facility in Arizona and awaiting contracts.
Boras spent a large amount of money to build a private training facility comparable to the club’s training facility, allowing unsigned customers to undergo spring camp training without a hitch and preparing for a long-term contract battle.
Boras signed a long-term contract with Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies in early March 2019, at the beginning of the exhibition game.
In mid-March 2008, with the regular season just around the corner, pitcher Kyle Rossi was signed to a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Considering the performance of the contract so far, Boras’ confidence entering the long-term game is worthy of high praise.
However, it is frustrating for Korean fans that it is unknown when Ryu Hyun-jin’s contract, who is realistically pushed lower in the negotiation order than the top five due to his age and surgery history, will be signed.