By Cesar Tordesillas

After acquiring coveted free-agent pitching ace Zack Greinke, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed another starting pitcher, Korean left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu, to a reported six-year deal worth $36 million.

According to sources, Ryu's deal has an out clause that kicks in after the fifth year if he has pitched 750 or more innings.

"We are excited to welcome Hyun-Jin Ryu to Los Angeles and the United States, continuing the tradition of Korean pitchers with the Dodger organization," Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said in a statement.

The Dodgers posted a fee of $25.7 million for the rights to negotiate with Ryu's agent, Scott Boras. The signing came before Sunday's 5 p.m. ET deadline.

Coupled with the signing of Greinke to a six-year, $147 million deal, the Dodgers now have their potential No. 2 and No. 3 starting pitchers behind ace Clayton Kershaw.

The 25-year-old Ryu pitched seven years in the Korean Baseball Organization, where he had a 2.80 ERA and 1,238 strikeouts in 1,269 innings.

The Dodgers will enter Spring Training with seven veteran starting pitchers on board, including Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly, Josh Beckett, Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano.

 

 

Dodgers Sign Korean Pitching Ace Ryu