Taiwanese centerfielder Chieh-Hsien Chen signed a 10-year deal with the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions worth $6.66 million, according to CPBLStats.com. The contract is the largest in the history of the Chinese Professional Baseball League, which began play in Taiwan in 1990.
Uni-Lions have signed centre fielder 陳傑憲 (Chen Chieh-Hsien) to a 10-year extension worth 6.66 million USD, making it the largest contract in CPBL history.
The deal includes a $5.6 million guaranteed salary, with an additional $1.06 million in performance incentives. pic.twitter.com/FoQUCH52Ov
— CPBL STATS 🪬🔮 (@GOCPBL) March 21, 2025
The agreement, announced on March 21, makes Chen the highest-paid player in league history. His deal totals NT$200 million, with a guaranteed salary of NT$168 million and incentive bonuses that could reach NT$32 million, according to a March 22 report by Evrim Agacı of The Pinnacle Gazette. Chen’s average monthly salary will be NT$1.4 million.
Chen was born in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, and has spent his entire CPBL career with the Lions since debuting in 2016. He is 31 years old and has appeared in 831 games over nine seasons, with a lifetime batting average of .343. In 3,678 plate appearances, the lefty collected 1,092 hits, 155 doubles, 40 triples, 33 home runs, 386 RBI, 120 stolen bases, and 390 walks while striking out 307 times. His career OPS stands at .867.
In 2024, Chen played in 112 games and batted .334. He tallied 134 hits, 13 doubles, seven triples, two home runs, 55 RBI, and seven stolen bases. He walked 56 times and struck out 50 times with an OPS of .837.
The Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions will open the 2025 CPBL regular season on the road against the CTBC Brothers on March 29 at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium. The first pitch is scheduled for 5:05 a.m. Eastern.
They finished their record in the first stage of the 2024 CPBL season in first place, 37-23, and completed the second stage record in third place, 29-30, before beating the Rakuten Monkeys in the best-of-five semifinal series in four games.
The Lions reached the 2024 Taiwan Series but fell to the CTBC Brothers in five games. They finished the first stage of the CPBL season in first place with a 37–23 record and placed third in the second stage at 29–30. The Lions advanced past the Rakuten Monkeys in the semifinals, winning the best-of-five series in four games.
Chen helped Chinese Taipei, ranked No. 2 in the world, qualify for their sixth consecutive WBC with a 6–3 win against Spain at the Taipei Dome on February 25. He batted .200 with three hits, two doubles, three runs scored, and two RBI in 15 at-bats during the four-game WBC Qualifier.
In November, Chen won the MVP and helped Chinese Taipei win its first Premier12 championship, defeating No. 1-ranked Japan 4–1 at the Tokyo Dome. That victory snapped Japan’s 27-game winning streak in senior international play. Chen led the tournament in batting average at .625, on-base percentage at .700, and OPS at 1.617. He played in seven games and went 15-for-24 with one double, two home runs, six RBI, five runs scored, two stolen bases, and four walks.
🏅 Your Premier12 2024 presented by RAXUS MVP: Chieh-Hsien Chen#Premier12 pic.twitter.com/LoMHVdoqKd
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) November 24, 2024
If healthy, Chen expects to return to the Chinese Taipei national team for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which begins March 6.
Tournament officials from Major League Baseball and the WBCI have not yet announced where Chinese Taipei will compete during the group stage.
