The contract between ‘Korean Monster’ Ryu Hyun-jin (37) and the Hanwha Eagles has finally been officially announced.

Returning to his former team after 12 years Opt-out included, content private

On the 22nd, Hanwha announced that it had signed a contract with Ryu Hyun-jin for a total of 17 billion won and an 8-year contract period.

It is a contract that includes an opt-out that allows him to cancel the remainder of his contract and become a free agent (FA), and the details of the opt-out will not be disclosed under agreement between both parties.

The total amount of 17 billion won is the highest treatment ever in the KBO League.

Ryu Hyun-jin, who entered MLB through the posting system after the 2012 season, had to return to Hanwha if he returned to the KBO League. Hanwha honored Ryu Hyun-jin, who had decided to return to Korea, by giving him the highest amount of money in history.

The previous highest amount was 15.2 billion won (4+2 years) recorded when catcher Yang Eui-ji signed a free agent contract with the Doosan Bears after the 2022 season. Previously, Gwang-Hyun Kim returned to SSG Landers after playing in MLB in 2020-2021 and signed a four-year contract worth a total of 15.1 billion won.

In addition, Hanwha and the Ryu Hyun-jin Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and agreed to jointly carry out social contribution activities such as youth baseball development.

It became known to the public on the 19th that Ryu Hyun-jin, who seemed likely to remain in the U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB), had decided to go to Hanwha. Three days later, Hanwha’s official announcement came out.

Hanwha Club, which has completely completed the contract process, plans to submit an application for Ryu Hyun-jin’s return to the KBO League to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). Currently, in the KBO League, Ryu Hyun-jin is announced as a voluntary termination player, so in order to return to Korea, he must submit a return application to the KBO president and obtain permission.

Ryu Hyun-jin, who has completed his contract, leaves on the 23rd for Okinawa, Japan, where Hanwha is holding its second spring camp.

After signing his contract, Ryu Hyun-jin said through the club, “I am grateful to the club for allowing me to return to the top level of the KBO league. “Hanwha is a team I am grateful to for helping me get to where I am now,” he said. “Ever since I entered MLB, I thought I would definitely return to Hanwha and repay them. I watched Hanwha every year in the U.S. and dreamed of the day I would join one day. “I am glad that I can now keep that promise,” he said.

He continued, “I think our team has the power to achieve good results thanks to the reinforcement of our power and the growth of young players. “I will work hard with my teammates so that we can show baseball to our fans for as long as possible this season,” he pledged.

Ryu Hyun-jin wears the Hanwha uniform again after 12 years.

Ryu Hyun-jin, who graduated from Dongsan High School and was selected by Hanwha as the second overall pick in the second round of the 2006 rookie draft, played for Hanwha until 2012.

Ryu Hyun-jin made a splendid debut in 2006, pitching 201⅔ innings in 30 games, recording 18 wins, 6 losses, 1 save, an ERA of 2.23, and 204 strikeouts.

He became the first player in KBO league history to win Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the same time in 2006. This still remains a unique case. Ryu Hyun-jin, who also won the pitcher’s Triple Crown, also won the pitcher’s Golden Glove that year.

Ryu Hyun-jin received his second Golden Glove in the 2010 season, recording an ERA (1.82) in the 1-point range.

Ryu Hyun-jin, who recorded 98 wins, 52 losses, 1 save, and an ERA of 2.80 in 1,269 innings in 190 games during 7 seasons playing in the KBO League, challenged MLB after the 2012 season.

After going through the posting system, Ryu Hyun-jin signed a six-year, $36 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Before Lee Jung-hoo signed a six-year, $113 million (approximately 150.5 billion won) contract with the San Francisco Giants in December of last year, it was the largest contract among Korean players posted.

Ryu Hyun-jin, who made a spectacular soft landing in MLB in 2013, his first year of debut, with 14 wins, 8 losses, and an ERA of 3.00, played well with 14 wins, 5 losses, and an ERA of 2.32 in 2019.

In 2019, he became the first Asian player to rank first in earned run average, and in 2019, he became the first Korean to appear as a starting pitcher in the All-Star Game. That year, he also finished second in National League Cy Young voting.

He had left shoulder labrum surgery in May 2015 and left elbow necrotic tissue removal surgery in September 2016, and was limited to appearing in one game over two years, but after returning in 2017, he made a spectacular comeback in 2019.

After finishing the 2019 season, Ryu Hyun-jin signed a four-year, $80 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, and he played until this year.

Hyun-Jin Ryu left behind a career record of 78 wins, 48 ​​losses, and an average ERA of 3.27 during his 11 seasons in MLB.

Ryu Hyun-jin, who underwent elbow ligament joint surgery (Tommy John surgery) in June 2022, announced that he is in good health by recording 3 wins, 3 losses, and an average ERA of 3.46 in 11 games after returning in early August of last year.

Ryu Hyun-jin, who was assessed to still be able to play as a 3-4 starter in MLB, looked for a new team, but he did not find a team offering satisfactory conditions.

In the end, Ryu Hyun-jin decided to take the hand of Hanwha, which had been actively courting him since the end of last year. After 12 years, he returned to his former team and decided to burn his last flame as a player. 토토사이트