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                                                                                                       SPORTS Tuesday 24 december 2019


















            AP source: Ryu, Blue Jays agree


            to $80 million, 4-year deal




            By MIKE FITZPATRICK          them  with  some  proven  eral stars — including 2018
            Hyun-Jin  Ryu  is  headed  pitching, the Blue Jays are  AL MVP Mookie Betts.
            north of the border to a To-  set to add Ryu to the top of  "One  hundred  and  thirty-
            ronto Blue Jays team in dire  a  revamped  rotation  that  five  people  in  Boras  Corp.
            need of starting pitching.   should  also  include  new-  work very hard for players,"
            One that was willing to pay  comers  Tanner  Roark  and  Boras  said  in  a  text  mes-
            for it, too. Ryu and the Blue  Chase  Anderson.  Roark  sage  to  The  Associated
            Jays agreed to an $80 mil-   signed  a  $24  million,  two-  Press.  "Free  agency  is  an
            lion, four-year contract, ac-  year deal last week with To-  achievement  few  players     In  this  Oct.  6,  2019,  file  photo,  Los  Angeles  Dodgers  starting
            cording to a person familiar  ronto, which finished fourth  ever reach, and I am hon-  pitcher  Hyun-Jin  Ryu  throws  to  a  Washington  Nationals  batter
            with  the  negotiations.  The  in the AL East at 67-95 last  ored  to  work  for  these  tal-  during the first inning in Game 3 of a baseball National League
                                                                                                   Division Series in Washington.
            person  spoke  late  Sunday  season.  Anderson,  also  a  ented players."q                                                      Associated Press
            night on condition of ano-   right-hander, was acquired
            nymity  because  the  deal  from Milwaukee last month.
            was pending a physical af-   The  moves  follow  Toronto
            ter Christmas and had not  home  attendance  declin-
            been announced.              ing  from  nearly  3.4  million
            Ryu was 14-5 with a major  in 2016, when the Blue Jays
            league-best  2.32  ERA  for  lost  in  the  AL  Champion-
            the  Los  Angeles  Dodgers  ship  Series  for  the  second
            last  season.  He  started  for  straight  year,  to  1.75  mil-
            the  National  League  in  his  lion last season — the club's
            first  All-Star  Game  and  fin-  lowest since 2010.
            ished  second  in  Cy  Young  Pitching  was  certainly  a
            Award voting to New York  problem:  No  starter  won
            Mets ace Jacob deGrom.       more than six games for the
            The 32-year-old left-hander  Blue Jays this year, and the
            from  South  Korea  receives  rotation ranked 22nd out of
            a  $20  million  salary  each  30 teams with a 5.25 ERA.
            of the next four years, with  Ryu, who turns 33 in March,
            no  signing  bonus.  His  deal  spent his first seven years in
            raised  agent  Scott  Boras'  the  majors  with  the  Dodg-
            total to more than a billion  ers after coming over from
            dollars in guaranteed con-   South  Korea  and  signing
            tracts  —  $1,016,500,000  to  a  $36  million,  six-year  con-
            be exact — for seven play-   tract  before  the  2013  sea-
            ers eligible for free agency  son.  He  was  effective  the
            since  the  start  of  Novem-  first  two  years  but  sat  out
            ber, agreements extending  the 2015 season and made
            as many as nine seasons.     only  one  appearance  in
            Boras  previously  negoti-   2016  due  to  left  shoulder
            ated deals for pitchers Ger-  surgery  and  elbow  tendi-
            rit  Cole  ($324  million),  Ste-  nitis. He also missed time in
            phen  Strasburg  ($245  mil-  2017  with  injuries  to  his  left
            lion), Dallas Keuchel ($55.5  hip and foot.
            million)  and  Tony  Watson  Ryu re-emerged with a 1.97
            ($3  million);  third  baseman  ERA  over  15  starts  in  2018
            Anthony    Rendon    ($245  and accepted a $17.9 mil-
            million)  and  infielder  Mike  lion qualifying offer from Los
            Moustakas ($64 million).     Angeles for 2019. He threw
            Toronto is building around a  182  2/3  innings  in  29  starts
            promising young core of hit-  this  year  for  the  NL  West
            ters, including three sons of  champions.
            former big league stars who  Boras is also likely to land lu-
            broke  into  the  majors  last  crative deals in free agen-
            season:  Vladimir  Guerrero  cy this winter for outfielder
            Jr., Bo Bichette and Cavan  Nicholas  Castellanos,  and
            Biggio. Looking to surround  in salary arbitration for sev-
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