Six-time All-Star outfielder Chen Tzu-hao has signed a historic 10-year contract with the Wei Chuan Dragons, the longest deal ever in Taiwan’s professional baseball history.
Sources familiar with the matter yesterday told reporters that Chen decided to leave the CTBC Brothers to join the Dragons and sign a new contract that is the first in the history of Taiwan’s CPBL to exceed five years.
The deal includes franchise and player options, although specific terms have not been disclosed, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Photo: CNA
Multiple Chinese-language media reports said that the contract is for a total of about NT$100 million (US$3.06 million), although it was unclear if the contract was fully guaranteed.
The team reportedly has a buy-out option and Chen can opt out at some unspecified time during the deal.
If accurate, the total value of the contract would set a league record, surpassing the NT$92.5 million, 3.5-year deal signed by Yu Chang with the Fubon Guardians earlier this year.
The 29-year-old Chen was among the first high-school players to enter the CPBL draft in 2013, the year the league introduced a separate draft for high-school players.
He was selected seventh overall by the then-Brother Elephants (now the CTBC Brothers) and has played for the franchise since.
In 87 regular-season games this year, Chen recorded 83 hits, including 17 home runs, in 301 at-bats, driving in 60 RBIs with a batting average of .276.
Chen’s decision to join the Dragons marks the first time the CTBC franchise has been unable to retain a player after declaring free agency.
Freddie Freeman homered and drove in four runs, Shohei Ohtani also went deep and Roki Sasaki earned his first major league win as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 10-3 on Saturday night for their seventh straight victory. The Dodgers have won the first two games of the series to improve to 5-0 against Atlanta this year. Los Angeles’ three-game sweep at home early in the season left the Braves 0-7. Sasaki allowed three runs and six hits over five innings. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up a home run to Ozzie Albies, but received plenty of offensive support in his
INTER AWAIT: Superb saves by PSG ’keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma inspired the victory, as Arsenal were punished for misses, including one by Bukayo Saka Arsenal on Wednesday fell short on the big stage again as their painful UEFA Champions League semi-final exit against Paris Saint-Germain left Mikel Arteta to rue his club’s failure to provide him with enough attacking options. Arteta’s side were unable to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 19 years as PSG clinched a tense 2-1 win at Parc des Princes. Trailing 1-0 from last week’s first leg in London, the Gunners made a blistering start to the second leg, but could not convert their chances as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s superb saves inspired PSG’s 3-1 aggregate victory. Arsenal were punished for
Bayern Munich on Sunday were crowned German champions for the 34th time, giving striker Harry Kane his first major trophy, after second-placed Bayer 04 Leverkusen drew 2-2 at SC Freiburg. Bayern’s 3-3 draw at RB Leipzig on Saturday, when the Bavarians came from two goals down to take the lead before conceding a stoppage-time equalizer, meant defending Bundesliga champions Leverkusen needed to win at Freiburg to delay the title party. Leverkusen were two goals down before scoring twice in the final 10 minutes, but Xabi Alonso’s side could not find a third, as Bayern reclaimed the title at the first attempt after
THRILLER: Raphinha gave Barca a 3-2 lead with two minutes remaining of regular time, but Francesco Acerbi equalized the game in the second minute of added time Davide Frattesi on Tuesday fired Inter into the UEFA Champions League final with an extra-time winner that gave the Italians a stunning 4-3 triumph over Barcelona, 7-6 on aggregate. Italy midfielder Frattesi won a tie for the ages under a downpour in Milan when he lashed home in the 99th minute, sending a packed and rocking San Siro wild with joy. Simone Inzaghi’s team will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this month in Munich, Germany, where they would feel they have a great chance to be crowned kings of Europe for a fourth time after