Somewhat lost in the Dodgers’ hectic start to the offseason were the qualifying offers the club extended to two important pieces last week. Hyun-Jin Ryu and Yasmani Grandal have made significant contributions to the Dodgers in recent years and both had to decide whether to play for $17.9 million next season or test the free-agent market for a long-term deal. They came to different decisions.
Ryu became the sixth player ever to accept the qualifying offer out of the 80 to receive it since it was implemented seven years ago. He is betting on himself to replicate the success he enjoyed when healthy in 2018 and parlay it into a lucrative long-term contract in free agency next winter after his age-32 season.