“RYU out of fall roster, no surprise”…’Ace to non-power’ 4-year mega-contract, Yong Doo-sami just down the road
Ryu Hyun-jin (36-Toronto Blue Jays) is about to sign a four-year, mega-contract that could end in disaster. Nowhere on the Blue Jays’ projected postseason roster is the name of the “original ace” Hyun-jin Ryu.
The Jays Journal, which specializes in covering the Toronto Blue Jays, took a look at the team’s postseason starting rotation over the past two days.
After punching their ticket to fall baseball with the third wild-card spot in the American League (89-73), Toronto will host the Central Division champion Minnesota Twins in a best-of-three wild-card series starting on April 4.
Ryu didn’t make the roster for Games 1 and 2, let alone Game 3. “It’s safe to say that Toronto’s starting rotation for the short wild-card series is virtually set,” the Jays Journal wrote, “with ace Kevin Gausman getting Game 1, Chris Bassitt Game 2, and Jose Berrios expected to get the nod if the series goes to a third game.”
Yusei Kikuchi and Hyun-jin Ryu are a mixed bag in the No. 4 spot. “Kikuchi, who earned a starting spot in the regular season, will likely move to the bullpen and fill a strong lefty role, while Ryu will likely drop off the roster altogether. This would not be a surprise,” predicting Ryu’s exclusion from the Wild Card Series.
Ryu, who signed a four-year, $80 million mega-deal with Toronto prior to the 2020 season, is in the final year of his contract and is just 3-3 with a 3.46 ERA in 11 starts. He didn’t return to action until August of this year due to the aftermath of elbow surgery last year, and after cruising through mid-September as the Man of Steel, he struggled in back-to-back starts against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sept. 24 (five runs in 4⅓ innings) and Oct. 1 (two runs in three innings). 먹튀검증 Multiple local media outlets have listed Ryu as a non-roster invitee to Toronto’s fall ball program.
MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, also does not include Ryu in its projected postseason roster. The starting rotation is made up of Gaussman, Bassett, Berrios, and Kikuchi. Ryu’s name wasn’t even on the list of bullpen arms.
“On the pitching side, it’s hard to see a role for fifth starter Hyun-jin Ryu on the roster,” MLB.com wrote, “but Trevor Richards’ recent struggles and Jay Jackson’s DFA could pave the way for an unusual bullpen use for Hyun-jin Ryu.”
Like the Jays Journal, MLB.com looks to Gaussman, Bassitt, and Berrios as the starters to handle the Wild Card Series. While Hyun-jin Ryu has been sidelined with injuries and struggles, the newcomers have been chosen to lead Toronto through the fall.