US Media: "Toronto Loses Ryu Hyun-jin Due to COVID-19"

On the 27th (local time), Ryu Hyun-jin shares his thoughts at the official signing press conference held at Rogers Centre, the home stadium of the Toronto Blue Jays in Ontario, Canada. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Park Hee-eun] Local media predicted that Toronto has been hit due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

The Major League team Toronto invested the highest amount ever paid to a pitcher in the club's history to acquire Ryu Hyun-jin (33) last December, aiming to strengthen their pitching staff. This amount corresponded to $80 million over four years and was the third largest in the club's history.

However, with the opening of the season uncertain due to the impact of COVID-19, the American sports media The Athletic mentioned Ryu Hyun-jin first in an article titled "Five Things Toronto Lost Because of COVID-19."

The media stated, "Toronto invested a huge amount last year to acquire Ryu Hyun-jin," adding, "But in the worst case, Ryu Hyun-jin might not pitch this season."

The Athletic explained, "Even if the season is canceled, the contract terms do not change," and said, "This must be frustrating for the Toronto club."

While noting that "Ryu Hyun-jin is a pitcher who relies on control rather than velocity, so the aging curve (the decline in performance with age) has less impact," the media predicted, "The club must have been most looking forward to seeing Ryu Hyun-jin in the 2020 season."

Canadian media Toronto Sun also expressed regret over not being able to see Ryu Hyun-jin pitch due to the season's delay.

The media mentioned Ryu, saying, "The Toronto club intended to start Ryu Hyun-jin in the opening game," and "They were focusing the opening game on Ryu, but things did not go as planned." It also reported, "The Toronto club's promotional plans for the Korean community were also disrupted."