FA Movement: Chen Chun-Hsiu to CTBC Brothers
IT’S SHOWTIME! On December 11, the CTBC Brothers officially signed free agent 陳俊秀 (Chen Chun-Hsiu) to a 3-year contract worth over 1 million USD. According to the team, the 35-year-old first baseman’s annual salary for the 2024 CPBL season is $300,000, and it will gradually increase over the next three years.
Chen Chun-Hsiu, the 10-season CPBL veteran, slashed a .285/.414/.421 and an outstanding 150 wRC+ over 66 games in the 2023 season. Although his age and slight loss of power could be a concern, Chen is still a very competent hitter and a formidable presence at the plate in high-leverage situations. Over the years, Chen has won numerous awards in the CPBL:
- 1x CPBL MVP
- 2x Batting Champion
- 1x Gold Glove
- 3x Best Ten (1B)
- 2x Taiwan Series MVP
- 6x CPBL All-Star
“I am very grateful to join the CTBC Brothers, and I appreciate the Brothers GM being very helpful during the contract negotiation stage,” said Chen Chun-Hsiu. “I believe in the Brothers’ massive fan base, organisation, and training facilities, which are what a player desires.”
Chen Chun-Hsiu also expressed his feelings about leaving his former team by filing for free agency at the end of the season. He said the decision was not easy, but this is professional baseball. As a player, he needs to have a lot of self-confidence to exercise his player rights.
“Chen Chun-Hsiu is a respectable opponent. Over the years, he has always given our pitching staff a hard time. Our team’s philosophy is simple: we want stability in our lineup,” said the CTBC Brothers’ general manager. “He will have plenty of opportunities to contribute at first base, DH and as a pinch hitter.”
Rakuten Monkeys 陳俊秀 (Chen Chun-Hsiu) closes the gap with a solo homer to left field. #CPBL pic.twitter.com/YHsEYxB5Ad
— CPBL STATS 🪬🔮 (@GOCPBL) September 19, 2021
Chen Chun-Hsiu’s Transfer Fee / Compensation
With the signing done and dusted, the CTBC Brothers will now have to provide a 25-man protection roster to Chen Chun-Hsiu’s former team, the Rakuten Monkeys. Upon receiving that list, the Monkeys, within seven working days, must decide what form of compensation they want from the Brothers.
For Class A free agent like Chen Chun-Hsiu, the compensation options are either a transfer fee of $365,000 or a combination of $219,000 plus a player outside of the Brothers’ 25-man protection list.
#Lamigo Monkeys’ 陳俊秀 (Chen Chun-Hsiu) belts a grand slam and delivers a special message to the Brothers’ fans.🤫#CPBL pic.twitter.com/RzdgQUXUue
— CPBL STATS 🪬🔮 (@GOCPBL) August 7, 2019