After Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg, Hyun-Jin Ryu probably is the best available pitcher this offseason.
And while there’s no shortage of teams that appear interested in the southpaw, one squad that’s reportedly in the conversation might come as a surprise.
According to MLB insider Jon Heyman, an American League East team not named the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox are kicking the tires on Ryu: the Toronto Blue Jays.
Blue Jays are among teams in on Hyun-Jin Ryu. Second place Cy Young finisher has been a bit under the radar so far.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 5, 2019
This is shocking largely because it doesn’t quite seem like the Blue Jays are ready to repeat. They are loaded with young talent but finished 67-95 last season while playing many of those youngsters regularly. Ryu is 32 years old, so if the Blue Jays were to give him a long-term deal, Toronto probably wouldn’t be a real contender until his best years are behind him.
Still, there’s no questioning his talent at the moment. He went 14-5 last season while posting a 2.32 ERA with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and has a 54-33 record with a 2.98 ERA since coming to MLB in 2013.
