Taiwanese pitcher Chang Hung-leng (???) officially signed with Major League Baseball’s Pittsburgh Pirates at a ceremony in Taipei on Tuesday, a move that had been anticipated for days in international media.
A report published on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ website Saturday said the club was expected to secure him for a US$500,000 signing bonus.
The size of the signing bonus could not be independently confirmed, but if true it would be the fourth highest bonus paid by the Pirates during the current international signing period.
The players who received bigger bonuses were outfielder Tony Blanco Jr. (US$900,000), shortstop Yordany De Los Santos (US$1.2 million), and pitcher Pitterson Rosa (US$$700,000).
Speaking with media at the ceremony, Chang said he was first inspired to play baseball while in elementary school when he saw Taiwanese pitcher Wang Chien-ming (???) highlighted on the news for his exploits in the big leagues.
“It was really impressive when a Taiwanese performed well in the United States and had the whole world take note of him,” said Chang, who hoped to be ready to play in the majors in four years.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel