Teng Kai-Wei Traded to San Francisco Giants
On July 31, the Minnesota Twins traded 20-year-old Taiwanese right-hander (鄧愷威) Teng Kai-Wei to the San Francisco Giants as part of the package deal for Sam Dyson.
The @Twins announced today that they have acquired RHP Sam Dyson from the Giants in exchange for minor league outfielder Jaylin Davis and right-handed pitchers Prelander Berroa and Kai-Wei Teng.
Dyson will join the #MNTwins tomorrow in Miami.
— Dustin Morse (@morsecode) July 31, 2019
The Twins signed Teng Kai-Wei as an international free agent for $580,000 USD back in September 2017. In 2018, the Twins assigned Teng to the GCL Twins, and he finished his first professional season with a 3.59 ERA and 1.20 WHIP across 42.2 innings.
Teng Kai-Wei received the promotion to Single-A in 2019, leading to the trade to the Giants system, Teng posted a solid 1.60 ERA and 1.07 WHIP over 50.2 innings for the Cedar Rapids Kernels.
Taiwanese Players in Giants’ Franchise
With Teng Kai-Wei heading to the San Francisco Giants, this will make him the third Taiwanese player to play in the Giants system.
- 譚信民 (Tan Shin-Ming): Signed as free agent in 1974, reached Giants Single-A.
- 張進德 (Jhang Jin-De): Signed as free agent in 2018, currently in Double-A.
- 鄧愷威 (Teng Kai-Wei): Traded from the Twins in 2019.
I grew up in San Francisco, so I’m a Giants fan first and foremost. I’m hoping that Teng amounts to something at the major league level. He’s big and his fastball hits 95, according to the video clip you provided, which are good signs. He sure looks good in the video clip in which he struck out 10. He’s still a long way from the MLB majors, and if he doesn’t make it, maybe I can root for him one day when he pitches in the CPBL.
I have high hopes for Teng. And yes, he is a big boy, I think got even taller since the signing with Twins. Would be very interesting to see how far Teng can go in the MLB system.
While we on the topic of big boy pitching prospect, Li Chen-Hsun who is a 17-year-old high school pitcher, he is another guy that might head overseas in 2020.
I think he is 6’4 as well, and tossed 150kph (93mph) when he was 15 or 16. I believe your Giants is one of the teams that is interested in him. If he is healthy, maybe we might see 600 to 800K price range.
MLB likes big, hard-throwing pitching prospects, no doubt about it.