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Spotted this blurb about a Taiwanese LH SP who apparently pitched for a Japanese team, being the Chunichi Dragons and now he is a FA who may be available on the MLB market on ESPN, couldn't read anything more recent about him b/c the article is available to "insider" subscribers only. I refuse to pay for reporters opinions and their supposedly close connections to team sources.
Anyway there is an article on MLBTR that mentions Chen:
"There are roughly six teams that have shown consistent interest in Wei-Yin Chen, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. The Orioles are one, the Pirates presumably still another, and the other four are yet unknown"
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/wei-yin-chen/
Since the Tigers are obviously RH-pitching heavy, having none or maybe Oliver at best currently projected to be in their rotation, come April, perhaps they are also giving Chen a look.
The below is an older article ('09) about Chen on Baseball Reference
"With a high three-quarters delivery Chen pitches a fastball usually sits around 90 mph (tops out at 96 mph). The best breaking ball of his package is a slider. Chen commands his fastball well against batters, but his slider isn't that effective with common quality and control. In fact, Chen can be considered as a two-pitch starter in NPB."
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Wei-Yin_Chen
I could envision the Tigers possibly signing him to a minor-league contract initially and perhaps giving him a few starts or maybe more likely as a reliever during spring training to see if and how well he can get major-league hitters out.
Considering how very, very thin the club is in blue-chip or even red chip?? heh!! LH SP at the high minor league levels, they may do well in giving Chen a chance to prove himself and maybe get called up to the majors later during this coming season or the next.
Seems pretty desperate of me to bring this rather obscure pitcher up, but it kinda ticks me off that ever since the big Miggy/D-Train trade of late '07 or even earlier the Tigers haven't replenished their largely blue-chipper position-player bereft farm system, and considering how their brass had focused mainly on drafting power pitching in the higher rounds, they do not have many decent lefties (outside of Andy Oliver), who are suitable or ready as yet to challenge in ST for a spot on their starting roto...meh.
Anyway there is an article on MLBTR that mentions Chen:
"There are roughly six teams that have shown consistent interest in Wei-Yin Chen, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. The Orioles are one, the Pirates presumably still another, and the other four are yet unknown"
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/wei-yin-chen/
Since the Tigers are obviously RH-pitching heavy, having none or maybe Oliver at best currently projected to be in their rotation, come April, perhaps they are also giving Chen a look.
The below is an older article ('09) about Chen on Baseball Reference
"With a high three-quarters delivery Chen pitches a fastball usually sits around 90 mph (tops out at 96 mph). The best breaking ball of his package is a slider. Chen commands his fastball well against batters, but his slider isn't that effective with common quality and control. In fact, Chen can be considered as a two-pitch starter in NPB."
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Wei-Yin_Chen
I could envision the Tigers possibly signing him to a minor-league contract initially and perhaps giving him a few starts or maybe more likely as a reliever during spring training to see if and how well he can get major-league hitters out.
Considering how very, very thin the club is in blue-chip or even red chip?? heh!! LH SP at the high minor league levels, they may do well in giving Chen a chance to prove himself and maybe get called up to the majors later during this coming season or the next.
Seems pretty desperate of me to bring this rather obscure pitcher up, but it kinda ticks me off that ever since the big Miggy/D-Train trade of late '07 or even earlier the Tigers haven't replenished their largely blue-chipper position-player bereft farm system, and considering how their brass had focused mainly on drafting power pitching in the higher rounds, they do not have many decent lefties (outside of Andy Oliver), who are suitable or ready as yet to challenge in ST for a spot on their starting roto...meh.
