Orioles Linked to Former Cy Young Runner-Up in Free Agency

At the beginning of the offseason, speculation was swirling that the Baltimore Orioles' front office might be aggressive on the open market to address the clear need in their starting rotation.

They were linked as potential suitors for multiple high-priced free agents, despite having never shown a willingness to spend that much money.

As expected, the conversation then switched to the Orioles looking for trade partners because of their abundance of assets they could use in a potential deal.

To this point, nothing has materialized and they could go back to the familiar pursuit of back end rotation additions.

One player they have been linked to is former National League Cy Young runner-up Hyun-Jin Ryu.

Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report lists Baltimore as a potential fit for the left-hander who is looking for his next team in Major League Baseball.

Ryu came to the MLB after signing a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, leaving the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO League in South Korea.

He immediately was an impact pitcher in their rotation, finishing fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2013 after posting a 3.00 ERA across 30 starts. He followed that up with a 3.38 ERA over 26 starts the next season.

The lefty wasn't able to pitch in 2015 because of shoulder surgery.

Ryu reminded people of how good he was during the 2019 season after recording an ERA of 2.32, the lowest in the MLB, earning his first All-Star selection and finishing second in NL Cy Young voting.

This landed him a four-year, $80 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays in free agency ahead of 2020.

His first season with them was a success as he finished third in AL Cy Young voting, but his tenure was marred by injuries after that.

Ryu underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022 and has been limited to only 17 starts and 79 innings pitched the past two years combined.

According to Jon Morosi, he's been ramping up his offseason workouts and is looking for his next team.

He could be an intriguing addition for the Orioles if they go that direction.