Lin Tzu-Wei Signed for 2.5-Year, $1.04 Million
On August 16, the Rakuten Monkeys held a press conference and officially signed former MLB infielder 林子偉 (Lin Tzu-Wei) to a 2.5-year deal worth 1.04 million USD.
Note: It is technically 28.5 months (2 years and 4.5 months), but I will use 2.5 years for ease of reading. The Monkeys recently acquired Lin Tzu-Wei via a trade deal with the TSG Hawks.
At the press conference, the Rakuten Monkeys GM helped Lin to put on the number 25 uniform and as per the Monkeys’ tradition with all their first-round picks in the past, the team presented Lin with a plaque that said “天之驕子 (The Chosen One)”.
The Monkeys GM also revealed that Lin Tzu-Wei will make his CPBL debut on August 19 against the Uni-Lions.
“In 2012, I was the person who made the phone call to invite Lin Tzu-Wei, who was a member of Taiwan’s U-18 national team, to throw out the first pitch at the Lamigo Monkeys home game, and years later, Lin is playing for the Monkeys,” said Roger Pu, the Monkeys’ GM.
Lin Tzu-Wei told the media that he is very excited to return home and play professional baseball in Taiwan.
“In the past, I only played baseball in Taiwan during international tournaments, but this time, it is for real, and I hope to win the Taiwan Series with the Rakuten Monkeys,” Lin Tzu-Wei told CNA. “I just want to thank my family and god for supporting me in the past ten years in the MLB system.
When asked by the media why he chose number 25, Lin Tzu-Wei revealed that the first time he wore number 25 was when he was in Double-A in the Boston Red Sox system. It is a familiar number and also a lucky number for him.
The Rakuten Monkeys manager told the media that they would likely let Lin Tzu-Wei be the starting second baseman or shortstop in his CPBL debut.
“We, the coaching team, won’t set any expectations for Lin Tzu-Wei at the moment. We want him to be himself and let him get used to playing in the CPBL,” the Monkeys manager Tseng Hao-Chu told ETtoday.
