The Los Angeles Dodgers just keep sending money this off season. A day after adding Zack Greinke to an already crowded rotation the team has worked out a deal with Korean born pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu.
Earlier this off season the Dodgers won rights to negotiate with Ryu after forking over a $25.74 million posting fee. The contract with the pitcher himself will set the Dodgers back another $36 million over the next six seasons reports Jon Heyman.
To recap the Dodgers current rotation. They have Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke set to occupy the top two spots and then it gets a little murky.
Josh Becket, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly, Chris Capuano, Aaron Hargan and Ryu will all figure to expect to fill the other three spots. With a payroll well north of $200 million for next season the Dodgers are clearly not concerned with the luxury tax and are in trying to win at all costs.
The 6-1, 215-pound Ryu is a strikeout pitcher with a fastball in the low-90s, a changeup and a slider. He helped Korea to the finals of the 2009 World Baseball Classic and the gold medal in the 2008 Olympic Games.
Ryu struck out 210 over 182 2/3 innings this past season and has a career 2.80 ERA.
The Dodgers bid of Ryu is third among bids submitted to Asian players via the posting system behind bids for Yu Darvish and Daisuke Matsuzaka.
In 1994 the Dodgers welcomed the first South Korean-born player to the Major League when they signed Chan Ho Park.
