Hanwha Eagles sign Taiwanese pitcher Wang Yan-Cheng to fill Asian quota

The Hanwha Eagles announced Thursday they have signed a Taiwanese pitcher Wang Yan-Cheng to fill their Asian quota for the 2026 season, becoming the first Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club to make use of the new rule. The Eagles said Wang, 24, agreed to a one-year deal worth $100,000. Starting in 2026, KBO clubs, in addition to carrying three foreign-born players, will each be allowed to sign an extra player from an Asian nation or Australia. That player must have competed in Asia or in Australia in the season immediately before the given year, and KBO teams may not spend more than $200,000 on an Asian quota player, including salary, signing bonus and buyout fees paid to the player's former team. Wang previously pitched for the minor league affiliate of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball from 2020 to 2025 and compiled a 20-21 record with a 3.62 ERA in 85 outings. The left-hander had his best season in 2025, going 10-5 with a 3.26 ERA over a career-high 116 innings across 22 games. In the NBP's Eastern League, Wang finished second in wins and thWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times