CPBL Investigates Hawks for Alleged Tampering
On January 10, the TSG Hawks hosted a media day to showcase their brand-new training facility, which reportedly cost around USD 10 million to build.
During the opening ceremony, Hawks manager Hong I-Chung shocked those in attendance by saying something that clearly appeared to violate CPBL regulations regarding foreign player signings.
“The Hawks’ front office has been working tirelessly this offseason to strengthen the team by signing multiple free agents and including foreign pitcher David Buchanan,” manager Hong I-Chung said, seemingly unaware of the trouble his comment would cause.
Potentially Breaching the “228 Clause”
Under CPBL regulations, because David Buchanan remained with the Fubon Guardians past the August 31 registration deadline in 2025, the Guardians can retain his negotiating rights until February 28, 2026. Unless the Guardians provide a written consent, giving up the negotiation rights, no other CPBL team is permitted to contact Buchanan at all. This is also commonly referring as the “228 Clause or the Zack Segovia Clause”.
According to Article 96, Section 1 of the CPBL regulations, if the league confirms a violation, the commissioner may fine the team or restrict the foreign player in question from signing with another CPBL team in the future.
“The league will begin its investigation into this matter. If the Hawks are found to have breached the rules, we will impose the appropriate punishment,” said CPBL commissioner Tsai Chi-Chang.
Statements by Guardians and Hawks
Shortly after, the Fubon Guardians released a statement saying they were shocked by the Hawks manager’s comments regarding David Buchanan, as they had not received any communication from either the Hawks or Buchanan’s agent about forfeiting his negotiating rights. The Guardians urged other teams in the league to show some restraint and to respect the rules.
The TSG Hawks later issued a statement claiming the incident was the result of a slight internal communication breakdown between the front office and the manager. The team stated that David Buchanan is merely one of several potential foreign player candidates for the 2026 season and that nothing has been finalised. The Hawks also said they will fully comply with league regulations and apologised to the Guardians for the misunderstanding caused by the manager’s remarks.
