Report: Hyun-Jin Ryu Expected to Sign Larger Contract Than Madison Bumgarner

Starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu is reportedly in line for a significant contract.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the "expectation" is the southpaw will make more than the $17 million annual average Madison Bumgarner will after the latter agreed to a five-year, $85 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Rosenthal reported Ryu will make a "minimum" of $80 million over a four-year contract.

It is no surprise he will command such a notable deal considering he is coming off his first All-Star campaign. He finished with an MLB-best 2.32 ERA to go with a 1.01 WHIP and 163 strikeouts in 182.2 innings, continuing the dominance he showed in 2018 with a 1.97 ERA in 82.1 innings.

Injuries will be a concern for suitors since he made 15 starts in 2018 because of a groin injury and one in 2016 because of an elbow injury. He missed the 2015 season after shoulder surgery.

Ryu will also be 33 years old during the 2020 campaign, though there were few better pitchers in all of baseball over the last two seasons.

And with Bumgarner, Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg off the market, teams in need of quality starting pitchers are running out of options. Rosenthal listed the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels and Minnesota Twins as clubs that need an additional starter.

Whichever team signs him will have to make a serious bid to beat out the competition given Rosenthal's report.