The Los Angeles Dodgers are the big winners in the bidding for South Korean pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu, as was rumored last night. Los Angeles' winning bid was $25,737,737.33, the highest bid ever for a South Korean player. The 25-year old Ryu won a gold medal in the 2008 Olympics with South Korea, and was a member of their 2009 World Baseball Classic runner-up team.
Ryu performed as a starter in Korea, yet some believe he might wind up in the bullpen (which would make this a quintessential Ned Colletti move). He has three main pages, but his curveball might not translate well to the majors. His fastball sits between 89 and 91, so Ryu isn't an overly hard thrower that could thrive in the bullpen. He has a huge body (as you can see in the above picture), and that could cause concerns about his long-term future.
The Dodgers now have 30 days to come to an agreement on a contract for Ryu.
