Cincinnati Reds free agency preview: Starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu

Moving along in the possible free agent targets for the Cincinnati Reds, starting pitching is the main focus for this club. This projected target is a left-hander from the bright lights of Hollywood.

Among the talk of the managerial search, we look at potential targets the Cincinnati Reds could use to shore up their struggling rotation. Being in a hitter-friendly ballpark, it’s crucial to find an arm who won’t be susceptible to giving up early runs and a lot of home runs. With fans eager for a big acquisition who can be a legitimate ace, Hyun-Jin Ryu of the Los Angeles Dodgers fits that mold.

Since entering the league in 2013, Ryu started with a bang putting up CY Young-like numbers. In his first two seasons, Ryu pitcher in 56 games and had an ERA around 3.00. Out of those starts, he had 28 wins to only 15 losses and totaled a whopping 293 strikeouts.

Ryu also made history by becoming the first South Korean to be a starting major league pitcher in the MLB. In the two seasons following his dominant start, Ryu seemed to cool off due to various injuries to his back and elbow.

Heading into this season, the Dodgers were optimistic that Ryu could return to his vital role in the rotation, and that he did. While only starting 15 games this season, Ryu seemed to find his groove going 7-3 with a 1.97 ERA and 89 strikeouts.

Primarily relying on his four-seam fastball, his speed may have dropped (90 mph), but Ryu also started to rely on off-speed pitches such as his cutter, and a split between his curve and changeup. Where Ryu has been especially good is in the postseason. Currently, he is 2-0 with a 2.30 ERA over 5 games started. What is attractive for any team like the current without recent postseason experience is his total strikeouts, which total 21 over only 27 innings pitched.

Dodging a bullet?

With his postseason success and being in his prime, Ryu will be projected to be a hot commodity for rotations such as the Reds. He definitely fills a need for the team with being a dominant left-hander who is a veteran for the younger pitchers to follow. The big question would be the price and what other teams will be willing to pay.

His current salary for 2018 is around $7.8 million and he is in the final year of the 6 year / $36 million dollar contract which he signed with the Dodgers back in 2013. The Cincinnati Reds would be smart to sign him to a multi-year deal and see if they can keep him around the annual $7 million mark in a stroke of luck. They would also be putting faith in him returning to even half the dominant starter he was.

Depending on who the Reds decide for their new manager could affect how much the team is willing to spend, especially for one pitcher. With many of the young pitchers under control, they definitely could decide on a cheaper ace, especially if they can get other pieces for less. Ryu could be attracted to the Queen City with the thought of being “the guy”, but it will be a race to acquire his services.

Only time will tell if the Reds are going to be contenders in the free agency market and sign guys like Ryu, or pretenders and stick to older veterans who are at the end of the road. One thing they need to realize is that they need to reel in a big fish, not smaller fish, even if it means giving up more.