Ryu signs 8-year deal with KBO's Hanwha Eagles

After 10 seasons in the major leagues, Hyun Jin Ryu has decided to return home.

The veteran left-hander, who spent the last four years with the Toronto Blue Jays, has signed an eight-year contract with the Korea Baseball Organization's Hanwha Eagles, it was announced Wednesday, according to Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News.

Ryu's deal is worth 17 billion Korean won ($12.8 million). It also contains an opt-out clause, but the Eagles didn't provide details about how the clause can be triggered.

He'll be the highest-paid player in the KBO, per Yoo.

Ryu spent the first seven years of his professional career with the Eagles, where he was named the KBO's MVP and Rookie of the Year in 2006. He parlayed that success into a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013, where he spent six seasons before joining Toronto as a free agent.

The 36-year-old only made 17 starts over the last two seasons of his contract with the Blue Jays after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2022. He missed nearly two full seasons earlier in his MLB career due to shoulder issues.

In 10 big-league seasons with the Blue Jays and Dodgers, Ryu amassed a 78-48 record with a 3.27 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 934 strikeouts, and three shutouts. He was a Cy Young finalist twice and the runner-up for the NL award in 2019 after posting an MLB-best 2.32 ERA. Ryu also helped the Dodgers to consecutive NL pennants in 2017 and '18, and he pitched on two Blue Jays playoff teams.