This offseason, there has been a flurry of activity overseas in Asia, with Nippon Professional Baseball, Korea Baseball Organization, and the Chinese Professional Baseball League. Moreover, two Asian players have even secured MLB deals.
Taiwanese right-handed pitcher Chung-hsiang Huang signs with Arizona Diamondbacks
Huang, 19, signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks on December 13 as part of the 2025 international class for $500,000 per CPBL stats x account.
As per ETtoday, the Arizona Diamondbacks have signed 19-year-old Taiwanese RHP 黃仲翔 (Huang Chung-Hsiang).
The signing bonus is reportedly around 500,000 USD. #MLBTW pic.twitter.com/vra6b2AVFL
— CPBL STATS 🪬🔮 (@GOCPBL) December 14, 2024
Haung pitched in the WBSC U23 Baseball World Cup for Chinese Taipei in China this past June at Shaoxing Baseball and Softball Sports Culture Center in Shaoxing City.
He threw 3.1 innings with six strikeouts and one run allowed for Chinese Taipei. He tops out at around 96 MPH with his fastball and features a slider, curveball, splitter, and changeup.
Taiwanese right-handed pitcher Nien-hsi Yang signs with San Francisco Giants
Yang, 18, signed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants on December 16 for $500,000, per the Taiwan News.
Yang pitched against Team USA in the 2022 U-18 World Cup at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida. The right-hander impressed, pitching a seven-inning complete game with two runs allowed and five strikeouts.
Yang tops out at around 92 MPH with his fastball, which also features a slider and changeup.
Complete game for Nien-Hsi Yang! 👏👏👏
📺 LIVE Streaminghttps://t.co/1hIixsFn8R#U18WorldCup #SuperRound pic.twitter.com/mrQSMOiexX
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) September 15, 2022
Phil Nevin’s Son Tyler Leaves MLB for NPB with Saitama Seibu Lions
Tyler Nevin, 27, signed with the Saitama Seibu Lions on Jan 8, per a team announcement.
Nevin made his MLB debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 2021 and spent two seasons with them. After being traded in the 2022 offseason, he played with the Detroit Tigers in 2023. He was designated for assignment before opening day in 2024 and was claimed by the Athletics. Last season, he hit seven home runs in 245 at-bats with the Athletics. Nevin’s father, Phil, played the majority of his career with the San Diego Padres and hit 208 home runs.
Tyler’s MLB career numbers are 12 home runs, 49 RBI, and a slash line of .299/.315/.615.
Nick Nelson Leaves MLB to Sign With Hanshin Tigers In NPB
Nelson, 29, is a right-handed pitcher who signed with the Hanshin Tigers on December 20 for $1 million plus incentives, according to the Beverly Hills Sports Council.
Nelson is an American pitcher who pitched for the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies. He made his MLB debut with the Yankees in 2020 and spent two seasons there. Nelson was traded to the Phillies before the 2022 season and pitched his last three seasons. He will make his NPB debut this season.
His MLB career numbers are 114.1 innings, 120 strikeouts, and a 5.20 ERA.
Naoyuki Uwasawa Returns to NPB With Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Uwasawa, 30, signed a four-year deal with the SoftBank Hawks on December 18, per The Mainichi.
Uwasawa, who was born in Japan, tried to make the jump to MLB last season but only pitched four innings with the Boston Red Sox. The right-handed pitcher was designated for assignment in June. From 2013 to 2022, he pitched nine seasons with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in the NPB.
His NPB career numbers are 1118.1 innings, 1094 strikeouts, and an ERA of 3.19.
Left-Handed Pitcher Zach Logue Leaves MLB For Doosan Bears in KBO
Logue, 28, signed an $800,000 contract with the Doosan Bears in the KBO on December 18, according to Jee-ho Yoo of Yonhap News. The contract includes a $100,000 signing bonus.
Logue is an American pitcher born in Ohio who pitched three seasons in MLB from 2022 to 2024. The left-handed pitcher made his MLB debut with the Oakland Athletics in 2022 and was designated for assignment after the season. He got claimed by the Detroit Tigers and pitched three games for them in 2023. He was released again and claimed by the Los Angeles Dodgers late in the 2024 season. He struck out 56 batters in 70 MLB innings.
Geon-chang Seo signs with Kia Tigers in KBO
The defending Korea Series champions, Kia Tigers, signed Seo, 35, on January 8, per a team announcement.
He made his KBO debut with the LG Twins but left for four seasons to serve his required military duties. In 2014, he had a historic season that saw him win the KBO MVP with a record-breaking 201 hits, 135 runs, and 17 triples.
He returned to the LG Twins in 2021 after playing with the Kiwoom Heroes for 10 seasons and played with them until the 2024 season.
His KBO career numbers are 40 home runs, 517 RBI, 232 stolen bases, 57 triples, and a slash line of .298/.380/.403 in 4800 at-bats.
KBO Trade Note: Kia Tigers Trade For Kiwoom Heroes RP Sang-woo Cho
On December 19, the Kia Tigers acquired Kiwoom Heroes reliever Sang-woo Cho for their first and fourth-round draft picks and $690,035, according to Jee-ho Yoo.
Cho, 30, appeared in 44 games last season and threw 39.2 innings with 36 strikeouts, an ERA of 3.18, and six saves.
Spenser Watkins Leaves MLB for TSG Hawks in CPBL
Watkins, 32, was born in Arizona and signed with the TSG Hawks on December 27, per the team announcement. The deal was worth $450,000 per TSNA.
Watkins is a right-handed pitcher who made his MLB debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 2021. He spent two seasons with them and pitched for the Athletics in 2023. In 2024, he spent his season pitching for the Washington Nationals Triple-A affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings.
His career MLB numbers are 164.1 innings, 102 strikeouts, and an ERA of 5.97.
Tzu-hao Chen Signed 10-Year Deal With Wei Chuan Dragons in CPBL
Chen, 29, signed a 10-year deal worth $4.33 million with the Wei Chuan Dragons in the CPBL, per a team announcement on December 21.
This is the longest deal in the history of the CPBL for the left-handed Taiwanese-hitting outfielder. He has spent his entire 12-year career with the CTBC Brothers.
His career CPBL numbers are 131 home runs, 639 RBI, 42 stolen bases, and a slash line of .288/.371/.468 in 3,439 at-bats.
Yu-hsien Chu also signs with Wei Chuan Dragons
Chu, 33, is a left-handed hitting first baseman and outfielder who signed a four-year deal worth $1.6 million on December 12, according to a team announcement.
The Taiwanese slugger played all nine of his seasons in the CPBL with the Rakuten Monkeys from 2016-2024. His best power numbers came in 2019 when he had a career-high 30 home runs and 105 RBI in 357 at-bats. He followed that up in 2020 with a career-best slash line of .353/.406/.643 in 366 at-bats.
His career CPBL numbers are 169 home runs, 649 RBI, and a slash line of .311/.376/.526 in 3,201 at-bats.
Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions sign Lefty Latino pitchers Yohander Méndez & C.C Mercedes to pitch in CBPL.
Méndez, 29, is Venezuelan, and his deal with Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions was worth $560,000 per TSNA on December 28. Mercedes is Dominican, and he signed with them on January 7 and the terms of the deal are currently unknown.
Méndez signed with the Texas Rangers as an international free agent in 2012 out of Venezuela. He pitched with the Rangers at the MLB level from 2016 to 2019, and his career numbers were 47.2 innings, 33 strikeouts, and an ERA of 6.23.
Méndez also pitched in the NPB for two seasons with Yomiuri Giants from 2023-2024 and put together 91.1 innings, 76 strikeouts, and an ERA of 2.56.
Mercedes, 30, signed with the Rays as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2011. He never reached the MLB level and went overseas to Japan in 2017 to pitch with the Giants in the NPB. He moved on to the Chiba Lotte Mariners in 2023 and was an NPB All-Star with them last season.
Mercedes’ career NPB numbers are 709.1 innings, 484 strikeouts, and an ERA of 3.10.
He also pitched for Team Dominican Republic in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo against Japan at Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium. Mercedes had a strong outing with seven strikeouts and one run allowed in six innings. He took the no-decision, and Japan won 4-3. Team Dominican Republic won third place with a 10-6 win over South Korea at Yokohama Stadium.
