January 8 Update: Deal Fell Apart with A’s
On January 8, ETtoday reported that the deal between the Oakland Athletics and 沈家羲 (Shen Chia-Hsi) did not materialise and Shen did not go ahead with the signing. However, there are other American League teams also interested in Shen Chia-Hsi.
Shen Chia-Hsi to Sign with Oakland Athletics
On November 12, TSNA reported that 18-year-old Kainan university right-hander 沈家羲 (Shen Chia-Hsi) has agreed to terms with Oakland Athletics.
The contract is reportedly around 300,000 USD, pending a physical examination. Should everything go smoothly, it is likely to be finalised in December 2022.
According to local media, Shen Chia-Hsi received multiple offers from at least four MLB organisations. There was a deal close to $500,000 on the table from an American League West team, but it was for the 2024 international signing period. That was one of the reasons why Shen Chia-Hsi accepted the $300,000 contract from the Athletics, as he wanted to go to the MLB system immediately.
Note: Since this is a developing story, I will continue to update this blog post until the official signing announcement from the Oakland A’s.
Quick Profile on Shen Chia-Hsi
Shen Chia-Hsi stands 186 cm and weighs 80 kg. He throws a fastball that topped out at 153 kph (95.1 mph) with an above-average changeup, slider and curveball. Shen told CNA that he recently added a Vulcan changeup to his repertoire and had been experimenting with it at the university tournament.
[Taiwan High School Baseball] 16-year-old RHP 沈家羲 (Shen Chia-Hsi) fastball was clocked at 148kph (92mph). #TWHSBaseball pic.twitter.com/kylvSSLSyM
— CPBL STATS – ♥️ #95, Mina (@GOCPBL) November 28, 2020