Could the Miami Marlins sign Hyun-jin Ryu? A potential short-term solution for their pitching needs.

The Miami Marlins could very well look at trading a young pitcher for some other position players of need and Hyun-jin Ryu could be a great fit to fill in. The 10 year veteran free agent has been an All-Star and a Cy Young candidate and even would make sense on a short term deal if the Marlins are open to it. Peter Bendix will have to see the value in it but he could come at a cost like high profile names. 

Would the Marlins entertain a 1 year deal for Hyun-jin Ryu?

The Marlins would probably only make sense as a temporary stop for Ryu and not a long term stop due to his cost.  Ryu is coming off a 4 year $20 million contract with the Blue Jays and they could easily re-sign him as they need pitching. With that being said he will come at a cost but he did just come off of surgery so there may be some durability concerns with the 26 year old pitcher. That’s why a one year deal makes sense so he can have a full year of stats to get another big contract.  

The Marlins had Johnny Cueto making $8.5 million last season with a team option for $10.5 in 2024. Would the Marlins take similar money and add incentives to Ryu’s contract to get him to around $15 million and would that be enough? Maybe for a one year deal, although the Boras group will likely want more and it could be tough. 

Hyun-jin Ryu fits in well for a one year Sandy Alcantara replacement and could be a win-win for both parties if they make a deal. The Marlins lose one Cy Young ace for a year and could sign a contending one for the lost year. Ryu pitched well in his return last season, starting 11 games and posting a 3.46 ERA with a 1.288 WHIP. Ryu was below 3 in ERA in 2018, 19, and 20 and since is averaging around 4.  In 2021 he posted a 4.37 and a 5.67 in 2022. His 3.46 ERA comeback last year might not be enough to convince other teams he is worth the same pay as when he was with the Dodgers. 

This could be a good prove it rental opportunity for the Marlins if they are willing to fork over some cash on an incentive deal. Ryu still has plenty of mileage left and if he is open to a prove it deal or a multi year deal with incentives and player opt outs, it would make sense for the Marlins. This of course all depends on them finalizing a trade deal to send one of their pitchers away to acquire some position players and that may be more of the question here.