MLB Rumors: Hyun-Jin Ryu Signing Will Help Josh Donaldson In Free Agency

The Toronto Blue Jays have signed former Los Angeles Dodger Hyun-Jin Ryu to a four-year $80 million contract which took another free agent arm off the market, but it will also affect a position player who has yet to sign in Josh Donaldson.

On the one hand, the now-dwindling free agent market will make teams looking to add unattached players willing to pay more for them. Of the free agents still on the market, none had the productive 2019 that Donaldson had, slamming 37 home runs and finished with an OPS of .900.

There are still players like Edwin Encarnacion, Nicholas Castellanos, Marcell Ozuna and Yasiel Puig, all right-handed bats like Donaldson, available but none could slide into the middle of the order the same way the former Atlanta Brave could.

So, we see that Ryu’s signing will help Donaldson by further limiting the options of potential suitors. On the other hand, it also helps because there was at least some overlap in the markets for both players.

Two of the teams who lost out on Ryu are known to want Donaldson: the Dodgers and Minnesota Twins. Los Angeles had Ryu in their organization for his whole MLB career to this point and were interested in retaining him for the right price. The Twins, meanwhile, are still searching for starting pitching as they are short in that position.

While adding a position player instead of a pitcher would add quality in a different area, both Donaldson and Ryu are impact players and will help whichever team the land with. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Twins were one of two teams who have already tabled an offer for Donaldson, as well as the Washington Nationals.

Both offers are for four years, which will entice Donaldson, but seeing yet another free agent land elsewhere may convince the Dodgers to make a bid. They’ve already seen Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg and Anthony Rendon chose other clubs even before missing out on Ryu.

Los Angeles has been linked with possible trade moves for Kris Bryant and Francisco Lindor but either option would cost top prospects. Donaldson did receive a qualifying offer from the Braves meaning he is tied to draft pick compensation.

However, that is a small price to pay instead of at least one or two of the organization’s blue-chip prospects. Seeing Ryu sign with the Blue Jays will only help Donaldson get his big payday.