"My heart is unchanged."
Ryu Hyun-jin (36, free agent) returned home through Incheon International Airport on the 18th. Fans of the Hanwha Eagles will stand on their feet at the words of Ryu Hyun-jin. Ryu has always said that he would retire from baseball to play for his hometown team, Hanwha, and he confirmed that he still feels that way.
Since returning from Tommy John surgery and rehabilitation in August, Hyun-jin has gone 3-3 with a 3.46 ERA in 11 games. It wasn't spectacular, but it was a solid performance for a player coming off of rehab. "I kept my promise to come back in the second half," he said. I'm happy with the way I came back."
Pitchers who have undergone Tommy John surgery typically regain full velocity and feel better after six months to a year. It doesn't apply to everyone, but Ryu Hyun-jin was expecting this, so there are many who think it's not yet time for him to return to Hanwha. 카지노
It's natural for a player to want to test his competitiveness in the major leagues once he's in better shape. In fact, there have been rumors of him staying in the major leagues early on, and it is likely that he will sign a short-term contract this winter with a team looking for four or five starters. Every year in free agency, there are teams looking for four or five starters on short-term contracts. There is a good chance that Ryu will choose a team.
Ryu said, "It's hard to say yet. We'll have to wait and see. If there's enough talk, then of course, yes, but otherwise, I think it's going to be a while before anything happens." It's a euphemism for staying in the major leagues.
That doesn't mean Hanwha fans need to be disappointed. Ryu is no longer the kind of player who can sign a huge, long-term contract in free agency like he did four years ago. If he signs a one- or two-year deal in the majors, he'll be in his late 30s, at which point he'll naturally start talking about returning to Hanwha.
Hanwha is building a new stadium with a target date of 2025. What better way for Daejeon and Hanwha fans to celebrate the new stadium than to have Ryu return. It would be great for Hanwha to have Ryu back for a year or two (or more) like Park Chan-ho did in the past, and it would be great for the business. He'll need to take good care of his body, but Ryu has already been through two rehabilitation stints after Tommy John surgery and one after shoulder surgery.
It would be exciting for Hanwha fans to see Ryu and emerging homegrown ace Moon Dong-ju form a dream super one-two punch in the new Daejeon stadium in 2025 and beyond.