New baseball contracts seem to challenge the level of fiscal responsibility of owners and management teams on a daily basis.
Many superstars not only bring in huge incomes from marketing and television, but they are also productive on the field, bringing in more wins and even more money.
If spending $700 million on a great (still rehabbing from injury) talent like Shohei Ohtani wasn't enough, the Los Angeles Dodgers also paid $3.021 million for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has yet to play a game in America. Donated. The San Francisco Giants acquired Korean star Jeong Hoo Lee, who also had no experience in the United States, for $113 million over six years.
Lee had a six-year career batting average of .340 in South Korea's top league. Looks great. But are his and other trades wise in the long run?
All such trades have an element of risk and reward. But what about the pitcher who turns 37 in March, had shoulder surgery in 2016, and elbow surgery in 2022 (also in 2004)? Come on, let's sign him for 8 years!
That's what the Hanwha Eagles of the Korean Baseball Association did by bringing back their countryman's son, Hyun-jin Ryu, in a contract worth 17 billion won (equivalent to $12.4 million). According to Jiho Yoo of Yonhap News, the contract includes an opt-out at an unspecified date.
This is the largest contract in KBO history, but it falls short of the contract Hyun-jin Ryu received in MLB.
The Dodgers signed him to a six-year, $36 million contract with bonuses in 2013. During his contract, he went 54-33 and averaged 123 1/3 innings, despite being on the disabled list multiple times.
Next, Hyun-jin Ryu signed a four-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2020 for a total of $80 million. He averaged 6 wins and 79 innings for the year, and spent even more time on the operating table. Good for Ryu's bank account. The Jays' bottom line isn't like that.
Joo Shin Soo's nest egg
Hyun-jin Ryu is an outfielder who signed with the Seattle Mariners from South Korea in 2001 and earned approximately $148 million in the minors and the majors with the Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, and Texas Rangers by 2020. He is following in the rich footsteps of Shinshu.
Mr. Autumn recently retired at the age of 41 after three more years with the KBO, and with an impressive return paycheck of several million dollars.
Ryu and Choo are beloved heroes in South Korea, but it is only natural that Korean teams, which are so passionate about baseball, would start paying participation fees to foreign players. There were 18 highly paid players in 2023, including William Cuevas.
The Venezuelan had a brief stint in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox from 2016 to 2018, finishing with the worst record in MLB. He appeared in 13 games, pitching 22 1/3 innings and was 0-3 with an 8.06 ERA. Last year, he started 18 games for the KBO's KT Wiz and posted a 12-0 record. He signed a 2024 contract for $1.5 million.
Expanding baseball world
MLB's 30 teams each have 26 players on their rosters, totaling 780 players. A year ago, 269 players from 19 countries, excluding the United States, were on the opening day roster. Including several players who were on injured reserve at the time, the overall roster total increased slightly to 28.5%. Shown as a .285 batting average, this is well above the MLB median of .248 and nine points better than the Atlanta Braves' .276 batting average.
The breakdown of players from each country starting the 2023 season is as follows.
511, United States. 104, Dominican Republic. 62, Venezuela. 21, Cuba. 19, Puerto Rico. 15, Mexico, 10, Canada. 8, Japan. 7; Colombia; 4, Curacao, Panama, South Korea. 2, Bahamas, Nicaragua. 1. Aruba, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Honduras, Taiwan.
Of these international talents, 89 are on the roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and their popularity continues to grow, leaving a clear mark on the game.
Additionally, baseball is becoming increasingly popular throughout Europe, especially in the Netherlands, Italy, and Spain. Last September, scouts were watching a 16-team European Championship featuring players from growing baseball countries such as Austria, Croatia, Greece, Switzerland and even Ukraine.
What happened to Geungwang Giljae Giljo?
The Taiwanese native signed with Cleveland in 2012 at the age of 18 as Li-Jen Chu. The catcher spent time in MLB's Australian Academy in 2013, then played six years in the minors, working his way up to Triple-A.
He changed his name back to Giljegijo, surprising American announcers and writers. According to Baseball-Reference.com, he became the first Taiwanese player to use an indigenous name instead of a Chinese name while in the United States.
The minor leagues were shut down in 2020 due to the coronavirus, and Gilje Giljo was selected fifth overall in the 2021 Chinese Professional Baseball League draft, where he excelled. He appeared in 248 games over three seasons, hitting .278 with 48 home runs and 155 RBIs, and was a star defender.
The point is that while America remains the core of baseball, players like Ryu, Cuevas, and even Gilge-Giljo have moved to other countries and made a good living.
Just as the world of baseball is rapidly growing due to changes in communications, transportation, and economics, the world itself is becoming smaller.
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