CPBL Foreign Players Updates Volume #305
Wei Chuan Dragons News: Jasier Herrera
On December 18, the Wei Chuan Dragons GM told Liberty Sports that they have signed 25-year-old Colombian right-hander Jasier Herrera for the 2024 CPBL season.
“After evaluating Jasier Herrera pitching style, we believe he will be suitable for the CPBL,” said the Dragons GM to ETtoday. “With his previous NPB experience, he should be able to adapt quickly to playing baseball in Asia.”
Jasier Herrera began his professional career with the San Francisco Giants system in 2015. Although he briefly touched Triple-A in 2021, he spent most of his career in High-A, where he posted a 3.99 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over 56.1 innings.
In 2022, he signed a development contract with the NPB’s Seibu Lions. In two seasons playing in the NPB minor league, Jasier Herrera compiled a 3.08 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over 114 innings of work. At the end of the 2023 season, the Seibu Lions decided not to renew his contract.
Prior to his signing with the Wei Chuan Dragons, Jasier Herrera was active in the Venezuelan Winter League and recorded a 5.73 ERA and 1.63 WHIP across 11 innings as a member of the Águilas del Zulia.
It is worth mentioning that at the beginning of 2023, Jasier Herrera represented Team Colombia in the World Baseball Classic. However, his performance was nothing to write home about, in 2.2 innings of relief work, he allowed 2 earned runs on 3 hits over 2.1 innings of relief work against Team USA and Great Britain.
Further Readings
Foreign players come and go. Therefore, we have compiled a tracker to monitor all foreign player signings for the 2024 CPBL season.
How far in advance of the CPBL draft does a player like Yu Chang have to declare his intent to participate in the draft? What would probably make sense for Chang is sign an MLB minor league contract, and if he hasn’t received significant major league playing time by July 1, 2024, declare for the CPBL draft, assuming that he has an agreement on contract terms with the team likely to draft him and can do so close to the time of the CPBL draft.
Normally the league will have a 30-day registration window about 1 month before the draft, so maybe around late June as the cut-off date.
About 3 weeks ago, the Merit Times (that particular reporter used to work for Taiwan’s largest sport agency and is pretty accurate with his signing news) reported that at least 2 American League teams are willing to offer an MLB contract to Yu Chang. Back in mid November, Yu Chang’s agency also revealed that they have been in talks with teams from the NPB. I guess we will soon find out where he wants to play in January? I’m assuming Yu Chang would prefer to play in Taiwan if the deal is good enough. Rumour he wants a multi-year deal with an annual salary at least 800,000 USD, which in reality, it is quite affordable for CPBL team, if they want to spend that money.
And honestly, I think Yu Chang is worth that money. And it could also be a good for the baseball industry in Taiwan, as it is never a bad thing to see more higher salaries in the CPBL.
Every year about this time as the CPBL foreign player signing period begins to heat up, I like to comment on promising CPBL prospects from the Caribbean Winter Leagues. The three foreign pitchers I like best this year are Nivaldo Rodriguez (RHP, age 27 in 2024), Emmanuel Ramirez (R, 29) and Jake Thompson (R, 30).
Rodriguez is the ideal age, has MLB major league experience, and pitched well in Mexico this past summer and in Venezuela this winter. His 2023 pitching line was 3.38 ERA, 138.1 IP, 110 K and 1.243 WHIP.
Emmanuel Ramirez has no MLB major league experience, but he pitched well as a starter in Mexico this summer and was lights out as a reliever in the Dominican Republic this winter. His 2023 pitching line is 3.20 ERA, 115.1 IP, 105 K and 1.084 WHIP. He pitched so well in the Dominican Winter League he may get an MLB minor league contract.
Jake Thompson has all the credentials for a CPBL foreign pitcher and he pitched great in Mexico last summer. He made only a single three-inning, late-season Dominican Winter League start, but it went well. His 2023 pitching line is 2.62 ERA, 92.2 IP, 86 K and 1.371 WHIP.
Other younger pitchers of note are Anderson Espinoza (R, 26 — he’ll probably get an MLB minor league contract); Ronald Bolanos (R, 27 — great stuff but very wild); Zach Mort (R, 27); Miller Hogan (R, 27); Nick Raquet (R, 28); and Christian Young (R, 28: CPBL has had some success with Canadian pitchers).
Pitchers in the not-yet-too-old age 30 to 32 range include: Ricardo Pinto (R, 30); Silvino Bracho (R, 31 – he’d be a closer in CPBL); Tyler Alexander (LHP, 32 — a rare lefty, he’s been hanging around for a few years as a possible CPBL prospect); Brandon Brennan (R, 32); and Jeff Kinley (R, 32).
Oldsters who look like they might have something left are Matt Dermody (L, 33); Luke Farrell (R, 33); Ariel Miranda (L, 35 — came back from his 2022 injury with great strikeout rate but had command issues in 2023), Joe Van Meter (R, 35), and Odrisamer Despaigne (R, 37).
I’m not sure why Jake Thompson has not received a CPBL contract. He seems like the kind of player that CPBL teams would go for. Would be interesting to see if any team would go for Ariel Miranda again. As for Odrisamer Despaigne, apparently, last year, he received a CPBL contract, but in the end, it didn’t pan out.
RHP Anderson Espinoza just signed a contract with NPB Orix Buffaloes.