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.
Carlos Alcaraz on Monday powered into the French Open second round with a resounding win to start his title defense, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and three-time defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek also progressed at Roland Garros. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz struck 31 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri and is to face Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in round two. Alcaraz is now on an eight-match winning streak at the French Open and also took Olympic silver at Roland Garros last year, losing the final to Novak Djokovic. “The first round is never
TIGHT FINISH: Napoli only needed to do the same as or better than Inter, who won their game against Como 2-0 on the same day, leaving Napoli with a one-point lead The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any others secured Napoli their second Serie A title in three years on Friday. Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari. Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams. “Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.” Comparing it to his three Serie A titles won
The journey of Taiwan’s badminton mixed doubles duo Ye Hong-wei and Nicole Chan at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur came to an end in the semi-finals yesterday after they suffered a 2-0 loss to China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping. Ye, 25, and Chan, 20, teamed up last year and are currently ranked No. 23 in the world. The Taiwanese shuttlers took on China’s second seeds in the mixed doubles event, but proved no match for Feng and Huang, losing the match 10-21, 7-21. In the first half of the first game, the pairings were neck and neck at 6-7 until Ye
SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte has dragged the team back from disaster and restored them to the top of Italian Serie A, but his future at the Scudetto winners is in doubt even after a triumphant season. The fiery 55-year-old has exceeded preseason expectations and bolstered his reputation as a serial winner by guiding Napoli to their fourth Scudetto, and second in three seasons. However, he might well be on his way in the summer after just one season at the helm as his charged relationship with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has simmered throughout the campaign. Conte has said