Baseball player Yu Chang (張育成) yesterday formally joined the Fubon Guardians, becoming the highest-paid player in the CPBL with a NT$92.5 million (US$2.85 million) contract over three-and-a-half years.
Chang is to play his maiden game in Taiwan’s major league baseball today.
Chang, 28, signed with the then-Cleveland Indians, now the Cleveland Guardians, in the MLB in 2013 and made his major-league debut in 2019.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
He has also played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox.
Throughout his 235-match career in the MLB, he clocked 121 hits, 20 home runs, 79 runs batted in and five stolen bases, with a batting average of 20.04, an on-base percentage of 20.65 percent and a slugging percentage of 30.59.
Chang knocked out two home runs in last year’s World Baseball Classic and was considered MVP of the Round A preliminaries and the best first baseman of the series.
The Rays offered to sign Chang for the US Minor League Baseball this year, but he was then assigned to the Durham Bulls and ultimately returned to Taiwan after being placed on multiple seven-day injured lists.
Speaking about his decision to return to Taiwan, Chang yesterday said that he felt Taiwanese’s passion for the sport after the World Baseball Classic last year, which was a significant change from the US.
Chang said he spent the past year and a half discussing possibly returning to Taiwan and starting a career in the CPBL.
Chang said the atmosphere and culture of the US major league drastically differs from that of Taiwan, adding: “I couldn’t be as at ease in the US as I am here.”
Chang said US games were quiet, while Taiwan’s baseball scene was emotional and “loud.”
Commenting on his upcoming game, Chang said he was ready despite his injuries in May.
“I wasn’t even playing my best when I was overseas,” he added.
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