Sources: Ryu to accept qualifying offer
Hyun-Jin Ryu will accept the Dodgers' qualifying offer -- a one-year, $17.9 million contract for 2019 -- and remain with Los Angeles, sources told MLB Network insider Jon Heyman on Monday.
Ryu's decision is not official yet. The deadline to accept or decline the offer is 5 p.m. ET today.
The 31-year-old left-hander had a 1.97 ERA in 15 starts for the Dodgers this season, with 89 strikeouts in 82 1/3 innings. Ryu had an up-and-down postseason, with solid outings against the Braves in Game 1 of the National League Division Series and the Brewers in Game 2 of the NL Championship Series, but rockier starts against Milwaukee in Game 6 of the NLCS and the Red Sox in Game 2 of the World Series.
Ryu has battled injury issues over the course of his career -- the latest a severe left groin strain that kept him out for several months in 2018 -- but when healthy, he's proven to be an effective starter. If he accepts the qualifying offer (derived from the mean salary of MLB's 125 highest-paid players) and puts together a strong 2019 season, he can hit the open market a year later potentially in line for a bigger deal.
If Ryu were to decline the qualifying offer and sign with another team as a free agent, the Dodgers would receive a compensatory Draft pick in 2019. The pick would come after Competitive Balance Round B, because the Dodgers don't receive revenue sharing but also didn't exceed the luxury-tax salary threshold last season. Along with the Dodgers, 11 other clubs fall into this category: the Angels, Astros, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Cubs, Giants, Mets, Phillies, Rangers, White Sox and Yankees.
Ryu was one of seven players to receive qualifying offers this year, along with teammate Yasmani Grandal, the Astros' Dallas Keuchel, the D-backs' Patrick Corbin and A.J. Pollock, the Nationals' Bryce Harper and the Red Sox's Craig Kimbrel.
In the six previous offseasons in which this system has been in place, only five (Brett Anderson, Jeremy Hellickson, Colby Rasmus, Neil Walker and Matt Wieters) of 73 players have accepted the qualifying offer.