San Diego Padres Tied to Veteran Free Agent Starting Pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu

The San Diego Padres might be interested in signing free agent pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu, according to The New York Post's Jon Heyman.

Heyman was discussing the Padres' potential interest in a pair of Boston Red Sox players on the trade market – outfielder Jarren Duran and closer Kenley Jansen. The MLB insider reiterated that San Diego may be more inclined to pursue a starter like Ryu, though.

The soon-to-be 37-year-old left-hander had Tommy John surgery in June 2022, returning to the Toronto Blue Jays' rotation the following August. Ryu pitched 52.0 innings across 11 games down the stretch in 2023 before entering free agency in November. 

According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, Ryu was going through a standard offseason routine in his home country of South Korea in January.

Ryu first came to MLB in 2013 when the Los Angeles Dodgers gave the southpaw a then-record $36 million contract. He finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting, winning 14 games with a 3.00 ERA and 1.203 WHIP.

After winning another 14 games with a 3.38 ERA and 1.191 WHIP in 2014, Ryu missed the entire 2015 season due to a shoulder injury. He returned for one start in July 2016, only to hurt his elbow and miss the rest of the year.

Ryu tossed a total of 209.0 innings in 2017 and 2018, but he was healthy enough to start Game 2 of the 2018 World Series against the Red Sox. In 2019, Ryu made his first career All-Star appearance and finished second in NL Cy Young voting after leading the league with a 2.32 ERA.

The Blue Jays lured Ryu out of Los Angeles with a four-year deal the following offseason, and he finished third in AL Cy Young voting right out of the gates in 2020. To that point in his career, Ryu was 59-35 with a 2.95 ERA, 1.163 WHIP and 16.7 WAR.

Ryu's production dipped in 2021, when he posted a 4.37 ERA, and his ERA was sitting at 5.67 in 2022 prior to his Tommy John surgery. Upon his return in 2023, Ryu bounced back with a 3.46 ERA.

According to Spotrac, Ryu's market value is a two-year, $16.2 million contract.

The Padres lost starting pitcher Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo to the Kansas City Royals via free agency earlier this offseason. Michael King and Randy Vásquez came back in the Juan Soto trade with the New York Yankees, but reigning NL Cy Young Blake Snell is likely to sign elsewhere.

Adding a veteran arm like Ryu would make sense for the Padres on their current timeline and in their current payroll state, by most accounts.