Ryu Hyun-jin AFP FILE PHOTO
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers have reached a 6-year deal worth $36 million for top South Korean left-handed hurler Ryu Hyun-jin, MLB.com reported Sunday.
The Ryu deal beat the afternoon deadline to end the 30-day exclusive negotiating window that the Dodgers had won by posting a fee of $25.7 million, which will now go to Ryu’s Korean team, the Hanwha Eagles.
That was reportedly the third-largest posting fee for such negotiating rights, following Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish’s worth $51.7 million and his compatriot Daisuke Matsuzaka’s, worth $51.1 million.
The Boston Red Sox eventually gave gave Matsuzaka a six-year, $52 million contract. The Texas Rangers inked Darvish to a six-year, $60 million contract.
Ryu has spent his entire seven-year professional career in Korea, compiling a 98-52 record with a 2.80 earned run average.
He also helped South Korea to a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics by going 2-0 with a 1.04 ERA in two starts.
Ryu was the first player to win the Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season in Korea, when he went 18-6.
He averaged 15 wins a season until this year, when the Eagles finished last and he had only nine wins, along with a 2.66 ERA.
Word that the Dodgers had reached agreement with Ryu came amid reports that they were close to reaching terms with prized free agent pitcher Zack Greinke.
USA Today reported that Greinke and the Dodgers had agreed on a six-year, $147 million deal, subject to Greinke passing a physical exam.
If that deal goes through, Ryu would potentially be joining a starting pitching rotation that includes two Cy Young Award-winners in Clayton Kershaw and Greinke, along with top hurlers Chad Billingsley and Josh Becket.