Star Taiwanese pitcher Wang Chien-ming (王建民) has agreed a contract with the Washington Nationals, Major League Baseball reported on its Web site on Tuesday.
Terms of the agreement with the former New York Yankees player were not disclosed.
The Nationals are expected to officially announce the signing at a news conference tomorrow at their spring training headquarters in Viera, Florida, the Web site (www.mlb.com) said.
The Washington Post said that Wang, recovering from shoulder surgery, agreed to a contract on Tuesday.
It quoted a team source as saying “Wang will earn US$2 million in 2010 and can earn up to US$3 million in incentives. He has already passed a physical.”
Wang, who will turn 30 next month, became a free agent after the Yankees declined to offer him a contract for this season.
In 2006 and 2007, Wang won 19 games each season and was second in the American League voting for a Cy Young award in 2006, behind Johan Santana.
He was limited by injuries to a total of 27 games over the past two seasons and had a combined record of 9-8 for 2008 and last year. His record was 38-13 in the previous two years.
Nationals Manager Jim Riggleman was quoted in the Post as saying the signing of Wang, “gives us the opportunity to add a pitcher in May or June and it’s like, ‘Wow, it almost feels like we just made a great [midseason] trade.’”
According to the Post, Riggleman recalled Mariners batters talking of Wang in 2008 when he was Seattle’s bench coach.
“I know the comments that our hitters would make about him — the quality of his sinker. Not only does his ball sink, he throws very hard. Just really, at that point in his career, hitters were saying it was like hitting a bowling ball,” the Post report said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
RSS