Pete Abraham of Boston.com has just that former Yankees RHSP Chien Ming Wang has decided to sign with the Nationals.
From MLB.com’s Bill Ladson
Wang is still recovering from arthroscopic shoulder surgery that he had in late July. As of last week, Wang was throwing from 120 feet and is not in any pain. There is no timetable as to when Wang will throw off a mound.
I really like this gamble. Entering the off-season, there were three rehabbing pitchers I hoped the Nationals. Ben Sheets was my #1 guy but Wang was a close #2. As a sinker ball pitcher, I think any potential loss in velocity is minimized.
Update … it seems that Abraham may have jumped the gun. Mark Zuckerman, Ben Goessling, Chico Harlan and Bill Ladson are all reporting that no deal is done
#1 by Positively Half St. - February 10th, 2010 at 10:23
I am very excited and impressed. I hope he helps the team win, and helps expand the team’s visibility here and in Asia.
#2 by Todd Boss - February 10th, 2010 at 10:33
Love this signing too. He has #1 starter capabilities, he was a cy young runner up a couple years ago. His numbers will automatically improve just by being in the NL. Great signing.
#3 by Paul - February 10th, 2010 at 10:40
Wow. I am kind of shocked. I love this sign (depending on the numbers). I would love to see a $2 mil plus incentives for this year and an option for next.
#4 by BinM - February 10th, 2010 at 11:15
Wang will probably need until mid-May or early June to get his arm strength back, but could be a solid addition to the starting staff. If Rizzo can bring him aboard for Olsen-like numbers ($850k to $1M base, with incentives & an option), that would be a coup.
#5 by Ric - February 10th, 2010 at 11:39
Don’t get too excited, the Boston reporter jumped the gun. Nothing is done
#6 by peric - February 10th, 2010 at 15:34
Be interesting to figure out why the Mariners are so interested in ex-Nats? That is a good question BinM.
#7 by WallyBall - February 10th, 2010 at 15:51
I agree with the comment about the option year. Given his injury rehab, his signing makes little sense to me for this year only. So rather than a minor league deal or a really cheap one for this year only, I would put some guaranteed money out there for him to agree to a reasonable 2011 option.
That would be a great gamble for the nats to take.
#8 by peric - February 10th, 2010 at 15:54
They definitely will need a very, very, very strong relief staff with all of the starters coming back from injuries. Makes you think that Storen need only continue where he left off come this spring training to make the 25 man.
#9 by Rich - February 10th, 2010 at 16:27
I was trying to figure this out. Was Wang drafted or was he a free agent? I assumed a free agent… but the Yanks paid him about league minimum for his first two seasons… As a result I was wondering would Wang would be under team control for next season… Obviously, if he was a free agent then he wouldn’t be under team control…
#10 by Brian Oliver - February 10th, 2010 at 16:35
RIch – Wang signed as an undrafted free agent in 2000. I can’t find his bonus information but he likely signed a deal like drafted players do (no major league deal, all bonus).
According to Cot’s, he has 4.159 years of service time so he would not be a free agent for another full season plus a month or so. He’ll be a F/A after the 2011 season.
#11 by WallyBall - February 10th, 2010 at 17:06
Forget my comment about the 2011 option, then. I would go get him.
#12 by GAB - February 10th, 2010 at 18:58
Does that mean that the Nats would control him through 2011?He would have to go through arbitration after the 2010 season right?
#13 by TimDz - February 10th, 2010 at 19:18
I have a friend who is a baseball junkie and he isn’t too impressed with Chien Ming Wang. His actual quote to me (and initially didn’t have any idea as to why was laughing so hard) was: “I have no idea why all these teams have a hardon for Wang.”
#14 by Steve - February 10th, 2010 at 19:19
China Times reports that Wang signs for 2 million with incentive to 5 million pending a physical. The physical should be in two days. Take it for what its worth.
http://news.chinatimes.com/2007Cti/2007Cti-News/2007Cti-News-Content/0%2C4521%2C11051203+112010021100098%2C00.html
#15 by TimDz - February 10th, 2010 at 19:27
Well THAT certainly clears things up Steve :)
#16 by Brian Oliver - February 10th, 2010 at 19:29
If it is a $2M gamble, I still think it’s worthwhile. Worst case, he’s done and they are out $2M (and given what they wasted on SPs in 2009, I’m OK with that). If he earns the $5M in incentives, I’m sure we’ll be happy with the results
#17 by Steve - February 10th, 2010 at 20:16
Here see if this works better.
There may be a little lost in translation.
http://sysurl.systranet.com/?systrangui=local%3B%2Fsnetcom/web&systranuid=aHR0cC1uZXdzLmNoaW5hdGltZXMuY29tLzIwMDdDdGkvMjAwN0N0aS1OZXdzLzIwMDdDdGktTmV3cy1Db250ZW50LzAlMkM0NTIxJTJDMTEwNTEyMDMrMTEyMDEwMDIxMTAwMDk4JTJDMDAuaHRtbC96aF9lbg==&systranbanner=1
#18 by Steve - February 10th, 2010 at 20:24
It worked for me, it take awhile to load.
China Times is a Taiwan newspaper and Chien-Ming Wang is from Taiwan. That said the translation still leaves a little to the imagination. I like how Rizzo translates to Li Zuo
#19 by RD - February 10th, 2010 at 22:47
Don’t quite get it.
Wang was overrated with the Yankees. If he wasn’t a Yankee, we’d never know who he was. He is an average pitcher that got W’s because of the team he played on. The other numbers don’t jump out. He absolutely does NOT have #1 starter capabilities. Lannan and Marquis have more #1 capability than Wang does.
Also, he’s not expected back until at least a month or two into the season? Again, I don’t get it. The point of signing veterans is to get them to eat up innings so that the kids aren’t forced into the bigs too soon and pitch too much. Well, by waiting for Wang, we’re going to have a kid in the bigs. If he’s doing well … We certainly can’t demote them for Wang. Him coming in the second half of the season doesn’t help the kids … Ideally its the kids that come up in the second half to make a move.
I would rather have signed Doug Davis.
#20 by Sue Dinem - February 11th, 2010 at 09:20
I do.
At his peak (2006-07), Wang simply wouldn’t give up the longball or long hits. He led the A.L. in the lowest HR/9 both seasons and allowed slugging percentages of .375 and .368 despite his below-average H/9 ratings of 9.0 and 9.6 respectively (translation: he mostly gives up singles) — and he did that pitching in hitters’ ballparks.
None of this is to say that Wang will return to that level, but if he can return to 90% of that, it’ll give the Nats a high-3/low-4 ERA pitcher, a.k.a. John Lannan (Wang is a similar low-walk/low-K pitcher).
#21 by Chris - February 11th, 2010 at 09:49
This is the kind of inside info I live for…
#22 by BinM - February 11th, 2010 at 10:50
Sue Dinem: Kick in his 1.34 career WHIP & 2.7 GB/FB ratio, and those are numbers you have to like in the #3-4 rotation slot. If the Nationals can land him, that would tighten up the rotation nicely.
#23 by peric - February 11th, 2010 at 13:00
But that wouldn’t be until May … or beyond … kind of like the JZimm watch? The Nats even have him still listed as a starting pitcher in the rotation on their website.
No Kennedy listed as yet either …
Makes one think that perhaps the “Lerner’s are Cheap, Rizzo isn’t doing enough crowd” crowd look right to a larger extent.
#24 by peric - February 11th, 2010 at 13:04
JZimm is listed in the rotation, not Wang.
#25 by Sue Dinem - February 11th, 2010 at 13:27
I suppose that’s how it looks if you don’t understand that MLB Advanced Media and not the Nationals posts the content on the “washington.nationals” subdomain of MLB.com
#26 by Chris - February 11th, 2010 at 13:36
It’s amazing how ignorant some people are, Sue.
#27 by peric - February 11th, 2010 at 15:21
And all along I thought it was Ladson.
#28 by peric - February 11th, 2010 at 15:22
I believe that Ladson does work for and represent MLB Advanced Media?
#29 by peric - February 11th, 2010 at 15:23
But then, Sue Dinem knows so much more than Ladson …
#30 by Chris - February 11th, 2010 at 16:34
Yes, he does. As a reporter.
MLB.com is owned by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, meaning Ladson has zero affiliation with the Nats. In fact, outside of press releases, teams have zero say when it comes to content on the site.
Now assuming you had one, what was your point?
#31 by VladiHondo - February 12th, 2010 at 14:32
That puts Sue in an extremely large club. :)