CPBL Foreign Players Updates Volume #306
Uni-Lions Re-Signed Two More Starters
On December 27, the Uni-Lions announced the re-signing of Brock Dykxhoorn and Mario Sanchez for the 2024 CPBL season. According to the team, they are currently in talks and have offered a contract to another yet-to-be-named foreign left-handed starter.
As of today, the Uni-Lions have signed Logan Ondrusek, Brock Dykxhoorn and Mario Sanchez as their foreign players for the 2024 CPBL season.
Uni-Lions News: Brock Dykxhoorn
Brock Dykxhoorn, the 29-year-old Canadian right-hander, is returning for his fifth season in the CPBL. In the past few years, he has been the foundation of the Uni-Lions starting rotation.
After coming back from back surgery, which ended his 2022 season prematurely, in 2023, he posted a solid 2.83 ERA and 1.16 WHIP over 149.2 innings. During the 2023 postseason, Dykxhoorn made one appearance in Game 1 of the Playoff Series, where he allowed three earned runs over 6.2 innings against the Monkeys.
Uni-Lions’ Brock Dykxhoorn allowed 3 runs and struck out 6 over 8 innings. #CPBL pic.twitter.com/a6IYeSfbnl
— CPBL STATS 🪬🔮 (@GOCPBL) August 18, 2023
Uni-Lions News: Mario Sanchez
Mario Sanchez, the 29-year-old Venezuelan right-hander, is set to return to Taiwan for his second tour of the CPBL. Sanchez spent the first half of the 2023 season in the CPBL and posted a dominating 1.44 ERA and 0.93 WHIP across 62.2 innings.
Due to his stellar performance, in mid-season, his CPBL contract with the Uni-Lions was purchased by the KIA Tigers of the KBO, and Sanchez wound up finishing the second half of the 2023 season in Korea. However, he was having a little issue adjusting to another league, and at the end of the year, the Tigers decided not to re-sign Mario Sanchez for the next season.
Uni-Lions Mario Sanchez allowed 1 run and struck out 11 over 6.2 strong innings. 💎 #CPBL pic.twitter.com/AwN4ytBOH9
— CPBL STATS 🪬🔮 (@GOCPBL) June 3, 2023
Further Readings
Foreign players come and go. Therefore, we have compiled a tracker to monitor all foreign player signings for the 2024 CPBL season.
There were a lot of position players who played well in the Caribbean Winter Leagues who might be good bets for the CPBL in 2024. The two I like best are infielders Vimael Machin and Jose Rondon. Both will be 30 in 2024, both have significant MLB major league experience, and I think either would be the best defensive 3Bman in the CPBL should a team sign either of them. They can also play 2B and shortstop, so they could fill a lot of holes. Machin bats left, and Rondon bats right. Rondon missed all of the 2002 summer season after getting hit with an 80-game PED suspension by MLB and that is likely the reason he is no longer in the MLB system.
Under 30s, who played well in the winter leagues after solid 2023 summer seasons include: Brian Rey (Age 26; 2B/OF/C BR); Andretty Cordero (27; 1B/3B; BR); Grant Witherspoon (27; OF; BL); Matt Lloyd (28; 1B/3B/LF; BL); Shed Long, Jr. (28; 2B/LF; BL); Allen Cordoba (28; IF/OF; BR); J.C. Escarra (29; 1B/C; BL); Yairo Munoz (29; IF/OF; BR); Angel Reyes (29; OF; BR); Dustin Peterson (29; 1B/OF; BR); and Roy Morales (29; C/1B; BR). Shed Long, Yairo Munoz and Dustin Peterson have MLB major league experience.
Not-yet-too-oldsters include: Aristides Aquino (30; OF; BR); Wilson Garcia (30: 1B/C; BB); Max Murphy (31; OF; BR); Mallex Smith (31; CF; BL; no power but he’d be a top base-stealer in CPBL); Luis Cardinas (31; IF: BB); and Dwight Smith, Jr. (31; OF; BL). Aquino, Cardinas and both Smiths have MLB major league experience.
Oldsters who might have something left include: Aderlin Rodriguez (32; 1B; BR); Kennys Vargas (33; 1B; BB); Yasiel Puig (33; RF; BR; a headache, but he can still mash the tater); Aaron Altherr (33: OF; BR); Jack Mayfield (33; IF; BR). All have MLB or NPB major league experience.
Although he didn’t play Winter League ball this year and hasn’t played in the MJB majors, I also like Kyle Martin (31; IB; BL). Over the last three years, he’s slugged 109 HRs in 1,486 plate appearances in the American Association, Mexican League, AAA Pacific Coast League and the Mexican Winter League.