Having hit free agency after four seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, South Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin said Monday he is in a wait-and-see mode on his future. Ryu took in Game 5 of the Korean Series between the home team LG Twins and the KT Wiz at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on Monday. Where Ryu will pitch next year is of great interest to South Korean baseball fans. The 36-year-old began his career in the Korea Baseball Organization with the Hanwha Eagles in 2006 and has said he would like to finish his career here. Whether that will be in 2024 or beyond remains to be seen.

For what it’s worth, Ryu’s agent, Scott Boras, has said his Korean client has drawn a great deal of interest from Major League Baseball clubs and he will pitch in the big leagues, not in South Korea .Asked about where he will end up next season, Ryu told reporters, “I’ll have to wait and listen to offers.” “I think I may have something after the end of the Winter Meetings in mid-December,” Ryu added. “For now, I am just waiting.”

Ryu left the Eagles to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of the 2013 season. And he signed a four-year, $80 million contract with the Blue Jays in late 2019.He was coming off his best season in the bigs, leading the majors with a 2.32 ERA and finishing second in the National League Cy Young Award voting for the Dodgers in 2019.Things are much different this time around. Ryu was limited to just 17 starts over the past two seasons, missing the second half of the 2022 and then the first half of the 2023 seasons after undergoing and recovering from a Tommy John elbow operation. The left-hander pitched to a solid 3.46 ERA in 11 outings this year, going 3-3 while striking out 38 batters in 52 innings. Asked about his current physical form, Ryu said succinctly, 스포츠토토존 “I feel good.”