3 Free Agents the Red Sox Need to Sign to Contend in 2024
By Tyler Maher
2. Hyun Jin Ryu
If the Red Sox don’t want to spend a fortune on Urias, they should consider one of his former Dodger teammates instead.
Hyun Jin Ryu is similar to Paxton — a veteran lefty in his mid-30s who’s dealt with some injuries lately. Ryu missed most of 2022 and 2023 because of Tommy John surgery, but he’s looked good in his first few starts back and should be ready to go for the start of 2024.
Hey may not have it in him to be a sub-2.00 ERA stud like he was in his prime, but there’s still plenty of upside in signing the former ace.
Realistically Ryu should be relatively affordable, too, and will probably get a similar deal to the one Eovaldi got from the Rangers last offseason (two years, $34 million). Bloom prefers shorter-term commitments anyway and is comfortable taking on injury risk, so that would be right in his wheelhouse.
It’s also worth mentioning that Ryu is comfortable in the AL East after spending the last four years pitching for Toronto. Stealing him from a division rival would make this signing even sweeter.