On Monday, the Baltimore Orioles signed another pitcher as they signed left-hander Wei-yin Chen from Taiwan.
Here’s on the signing from the Orioles.com:
Chen, 26, spent the last four years with the Chunichi Dragons of Japan’s Central League. He went 38-30 with a 2.48 ERA in 117 games, 88 of them starts. Chen had a 2.68 ERA in 25 appearances last season. He will be the first Taiwanese-born player in Orioles history.
“Chen works off of a 92-94 mph fastball and he uses a hard, slurve-like breaking ball as an out pitch,” Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said. “He has exceptional command and we like the quality of his pitches to help our team.”
Chen had a career-high 13 wins in 27 starts, striking out 153 in 188 innings, in 2019. He led the Central League with a 1.54 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and four shutouts in 164 innings in 2009.
He was a member of the Chinese Taipei national baseball team in the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics. He went 1-0 in two starts in the 2008 Games, tossing seven shutout innings in a 5-0 win over the Netherlands.
They have been looking to sign him throughout the winter, and Chen agreed to a 3-year pact. Dan Duquette said that the Orioles were going to make it a mandate to start looking at the international markets, and sure enough they have.
Time will tell how all the international efforts by the Orioles show in the win column. While I do like the fact the Duquette is thinking somewhat outside the box, the team should have focused more on major league veterans with experience and at least a ‘name’ player.
They do need a bat – a power one, honestly – however, so far, the organization has bolstered their pitching staff. I do think the team will make another move, whether it is a trade (more likely) and perhaps another signing or two.
So far, I am not all that impressed with what the organization has done in the off-season. It’s been kind of a mess with Duquette starting from the ground up, and the organization’s lack of getting a marquee player in town.
Then again, the Orioles more than likely will not compete in the American League East for the next several years, so perhaps what Duquette is doing now is actually prudent.
They will have a good amount of competition heading into camp when it comes to the pitching rotation. Hopefully, one of the new additions will make an impact when the team starts the season in a few months.
Remember, pitchers and catchers report in a little more than a month.
Also, the Orioles hired another man for the international front as Ray Poitevint is now the executive director of international baseball. He’s got a world of experience, worked with the Orioles in the 1960’s, and has served with Duquette on numerous occasions – with the Brewers and Red Sox.
