Ryu Hyun-jin on MLB radar

Hanwha Eagles starter Ryu Hyun-jin has attracted interest from many clubs in Major League Baseball since the 2008 Beijing Olympic gold medalist was posted on Nov. 2. The bidding will close on Friday at 7 a.m. / Yonhap

By Jung Min-ho

Signs of Hanwha Eagles starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin’s entry to the Major League Baseball are palpable since the 25-year-old became available for a move via the posting system on Nov. 2. The bidding will end Friday at 7 a.m.

Although specific names of bidders and numbers remain unknown, some major teams have requested Ryu’s pitch-tracking data from Sports2i, the Korea Baseball Organization’s (KBO) official data provider, in an obvious attempt to size up the southpaw, an organization official was quoted as saying by Sports Donga.

According to the official, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers have requested the information, while the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians already paid for it.

Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Bob Brookover said at philly.com that the Phillies need to beef up their bullpen, requiring a “quality setup man,” encouraging the team to bid for Ryu who “has a great change-up.” U.S. sports media network The Bleacher Report posted an article titled, “Is Hyun-Jin Ryu the Next Great Import from the Asian Baseball Leagues?,” showing interest in the potential-rich Korean.

Ryu made his KBO debut with the Eagles in 2006. His talent manifested throughout the season and he finished winning both Most Valuable Player (MVP) and the Rookie of the Year.

Ryu earned international attention when the Korean national team won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and finished second at the 2009 World Baseball Classic. With Hanwha struggling over the past few years the ace has been out of the limelight. The Eagles have been bottom of the league since 2008 except for 2011 where they finished sixth out of eight teams. This year, Ryu had by far the most strikeouts with 210, 66 ahead of his nearest rival, and a 2.66 ERA.

Under an agreement between the pitcher and Hanwha, if the top bidder falls short of their expectations, the Eagles can reject the offer to keep Ryu in Korea. Taking an overseas player to the MLB can benefit the team in more than just on-field performance, such as boosting merchandise sales and club recognition abroad. The Rangers didn’t hesitate in making a record bid of $51.7 million for Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish after he was posted to the MLB ahead of the 2012 season. Although it remains to be seen how much money MLB clubs are willing to invest in the Korean, many local media companies expect the amount to surpass $10 million.