Cleveland has spent some money to increase its Pacific Rim scouting efforts.
First came Kaz Tadano, which looked for a while like it was going to a be a steal for $100,000.
Then, the Indians inked Hyang-Nam Choi this past offseason. Choi is a 35 year old pitcher with years of experience in the Japanese League. He’s pitched quite well in Buffalo this season. His signing helps in the continued effort to build relationships over seas, to gauge the true level of talent, and to determine what type of successful Asian player will succeed over here.
Hideo Nomo, Ichiro and Kenji Johjima are classic cases of success. So Taguchi isn’t horrible in St. Louis and Kaz Sazaki was pretty good in Seattle’s bullpen. But you have your Ishii’s, your Shinjo’s (remember those bright armbands?), and your Irabu’s too. Like domestic scouting, not every sure thing turns out to be a sure thing.
Today, the Indians announced the signing of Taiwanese right-handed pitcher Sung-Wei Tseng (Sung-WAY Sen).
Tseng, 21, pitched for Chinese Taipei (Taiwan). He’s 5′11′’ tall, but he comes with accolade after accolade in international and collegiate ball.
He’s playing with the Taiwanese National Team but will join Cleveland’s instructional league in Winter Haven this September. In cases like this, adjusting to life in the US is just as important as a player’s progress on the field.
It’s good to see Cleveland active in the Pacific market considering the untapped talent in the Chinese, Taiwanese and Japanese leagues.
