Los Angeles Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu had a career year in 2018, and it came at a perfect time for him as he was among the team’s seven players to become a free agent the morning after the World Series concluded.
Ryu did miss time due to a groin strain in the first half of the season, but in 15 starts, went 7-3 with a 1.97 ERA, 3.00 FIP and 1.01 WHIP with 89 strikeouts and 15 walks in 82.1 innings.
The 31-year-old struggled a bit in the postseason, pitching to a 5.21 ERA with 20 strikeouts and three walks in 19 innings across three starts.
Given how much young starting pitching depth the Dodgers have in their organization, it will be interesting to see if they aggressively pursue re-signing Ryu this winter.
It appears they are willing to at least bring him back for one year, as according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Ryu has received a qualifying offer before Friday’s deadline:
#Dodgers have given qualifying offer to Ryu
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) November 2, 2018
The qualifying offer this year is valued at a $17.9 million salary for the 2019 season. If Ryu accepts, then he will be on a one-year deal, and if he denies then he has a chance to hit the open market. Ryu now has 10 days to come to a decision.
Ryu will likely decline, as was the case with all nine players that a qualifying offer was extended to last offseason. Even if he declines though, he still has the ability to re-sign with the Dodgers under different terms.
If he doesn’t though, Los Angeles would receive compensation in the form of a draft pick. If Ryu signs a contract worth more than $50 million, then the pick the Dodgers would receive would be just after the first round.
If he signs for less than $50 million, then the pick would be after Competitive Balance Round B. Additionally, whichever team Ryu signs with, would have to forfeit a draft pick for his services.
