Corner infielder Ryon Healy is signing with the Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization, the team announced (via Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap). It’s a one-year deal that guarantees him $800K and offers an additional $200K in incentives.
The 28-year-old Healy has logged big league time in each of the past five years. Most of his playing time came between 2017-18, when he was a regular with the Athletics and Mariners, respectively. Healy signed a one-year deal with the Brewers last offseason after being cut loose by Seattle, but he spent most of the year at their alternate training site. Healy only played in four regular season games for Milwaukee; he got one more start against the Dodgers in the Wild Card playoff round. The Brewers outrighted him off the 40-man roster after the season, and Healy again became a free agent.
All told, Healy has managed a .261/.298/.450 slash line (101 wRC+) with 69 home runs in 1606 MLB plate appearances. While he broke into the league as a third baseman, Healy has rated rather poorly defensively at both corner infield spots. Between his subpar defense and on-base deficiencies, he’s seen his big league playing time dwindle in recent years.
However, Healy has shown decent pop over his MLB time, with a career .190 isolated power (slugging minus batting average). Unlike many power-oriented bats, he’s not overly prone to punchouts, with generally average strikeout and whiff rates. Indeed, the Eagles pointed to Healy’s decent batted ball data and contact rates as reasons for pursuing him, Yoo notes in a follow-up tweet.
I really do think this was a good decision on Healy’s part. I feel he has some potential over at the third base. That pop in his bat would be great for any club. I just feel he needs to work on that and his defense. If he can get that worked overseas then he would be a great third baseman on the market. A lot of people who go overseas and work on the things they are struggling on quite often turn their careers around and can help perform with a team. I think this was a better option than settling for a minor league deal.
Good points.
Don’t forget that he was in the starting lineup for the Brewers in an elimination playoff game against the Dodgers THIS YEAR!
Gonna be an epic homerun masher in Korea
mans gonna crush it over there
I lived in Daejeon, where Hanwha plays, for more than 10 years. great city and he will thrive…
Expect him back in a couple of years with an MVP (or runner up) in his resume
Should be fun to see every team that could have had him for nothing now falling over themselves to give him guaranteed money in a couple of years.
He’s going to hit 80 home runs this year
Thank God!
Ryon has been through the injury ringer. Nice kid. Grew up with his dad. Dad is a dik
I thought he had spinal stenosis? Maybe he “ lucked out” and it was in the lumbar section instead of the cervical section of the spinal column.
Healy has 1606 major league PA and zero triples.
So what you are saying is that I’m still tied with Healy for MLB career triples.
Healy has some major problems like the fact that he doesn’t draw many walks (75 in 1606 plate appearances) while striking out 357 times. He does have power though which makes him a modern-day version of Shea Hillenbrand, albeit with a lot more strikeouts. He should be better than Brandon Barnes and Jared Hoying, but how much he improves his plate discipline will be key to his success in the KBO.
Shea Hillenbrand was a high average, low power clubhouse cancer. I’m not seeing the similarities.
Yeah you are wrong on the hillenbrand comp. Healy much more rounded hitter, with the iso numbers bearing it out. Healy also pitched a bit in college guy can huck across the infield if he can get a little better with the glove. Maybe even corner OF. Needs work though. Also personally met hillenbrand. Can confirm he is a conceited clubhouse cancer