Blue Jays Reportedly Interested in Big-Time Starters Hyun-Jin Ryu and Dallas Keuchel
By Scott Rogust
The Toronto Blue Jays called up their premier prospects, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and Cavan Biggio, over the course of the 2019 season. Now, they're looking to add some big veteran pieces to their roster in 2020 to gear up for a vicious AL East fight.
Right on cue, MLB insider Jon Morosi reports that the Jays are interested in free agent pitchers Hyun-Jin Ryu and Dallas Keuchel.
#BlueJays interested in Hyun-Jin Ryu and Dallas Keuchel, among other free-agent starting pitching options, as I reported this morning on @MLBNetwork. @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 4, 2019
The Blue Jays reportedly aren't done there, either Morosi also notes that the team is looking at starting pitcher Josh Lindblom, currently of the Korean Baseball Organization.
Ryu is coming off a career year with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The left-hander posted a 2.32 ERA and walked just 1.2 batters per nine innings, both league bests. The end result was a runner-up finish in the NL Cy Young voting.
Keuchel, on the other hand, is no stranger to the free agent market. The lefty sacrificed two months of the regular season before signing a "one-year" deal with the Atlanta Braves. In 112.2 innings pitched, Keuchel posted a 3.75 ERA and an 8-8 record.
#BlueJays showing interest in free agent starter Josh Lindblom, source confirms reports by @Ken_Rosenthal and @bnicholsonsmith. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 4, 2019
As for Lindblom, he spent the past three seasons in the KBO, most recently pitching for the Doosan Bears. The 32-year-old pitched 194.2 innings, notching a 2.50 ERA and 0.997 WHIP on a 20-3 record this year.
The Toronto Blue Jays are looking to accelerate their rebuild by spending money on the open market. It remains to be seen if they can convince anyone like Hyun-Jin Ryu, Dallas Keuchel, or Josh Lindblom to join up, but their ambition ought to be commended.