4 CPBL Players Declared Free Agency

On October 30, the CPBL published a list of 32 players who have accumulated enough service time to be eligible for free agency. By November 11, the league announced that four of those players had officially declared for free agency for the 2024 offseason:

  • CTBC Brothers – 詹子賢 (Chan Tzu-Hsien)
  • CTBC Brothers – 陳子豪 (Chen Tzu-Hao)
  • Uni-Lions – 陳韻文 (Chen Yun-Wen)
  • Rakuten Monkeys – 朱育賢 (Chu Yu-Hsien)

2024 Free Agency News Tracker

As always, I will try to do my best to keep all the free agency news here, and will only cover the four players who filed for free agency. [Last Updated: December 20, 2024]

  • November 1 – CTBC Brothers’ Chan Tzu-Hsien filed for free agency.
  • November 5 – CTBC Brothers’ Chen Tzu-Hao filed for free agency.
  • November 8 – Uni-Lions’ Chen Yun-Wen filed for free agency.
  • November 11 – Rakuten Monkeys’ Chu Yu-Hsien filed for free agency.
  • November 12 – 3 unnamed CPBL teams are interested in Chu Yu-Hsien. [Liberty Sports]
  • November 12 – Wei Chuan Dragons GM revealed that they will review and do their best to pursue all the free agents this offseason, but stressed that they have no intention for getting into a bidding war. [Liberty Sports]
  • November 13 – Rakuten Monkeys GM said that he will do everything he can to re-sign Chu Yu-Hsien. The Monkeys reportedly offered Chu a 3-year deal worth 1.02 million USD, but Chu rejected that offer. [Liberty Sports]
  • November 17 – Fubon Sports & Entertainment GM said they have reached out to free agents Chen Tzu-Hao, Chu Yu-Hsien, and Chan Tzu-Hsien, the team’s priority is to sign hitters from the free agent market. [TSNA]
  • November 25 – TSG Hawks GM said they have reached out to free agents Chen Tzu-Hao, Chu Yu-Hsien, Chan Tzu-Hsien and Chen Yun-Wen, the team is hoping to sign at least 1 player from the free agent market. [TSNA]
  • November 28 – Multiple teams are reportedly targeting free agent Chen Tzu-Hao and are likely to offer a substantial 5-year contract to him. An unnamed northern team is most active in pursuing Chen, while an unnamed southern team has pulled out of the bidding war. [ETtoday]
  • November 28 – Unnamed southern team have reportedly offered free agent Chan Tzu-Hsien a deal of more than 3 years. [Broadcaster Wang Yi-Hsuan]
  • December 7 – Multiple CPBL teams have extended offers to free agent 陳韻文 (Chen Yun-Wen). The deals reportedly range from 3 to 5 years, with an annual salary of at least 320,000 USD [ETtoday]
  • December 10 – Free agent Chu Yu-Hsien is expected to sign with a new team in the coming days. At this point, all signs indicate he will likely join the Wei Chuan Dragons on a 4-year deal. [Broadcaster Wang Yi-Hsuan]
  • December 10 – Wei Chuan Dragons GM revealed that they have reached a preliminary understanding with free agent Chu Yu-Hsien. Both parties will meet today to iron out the minor details of the contract. [Wei Chuan Dragons]
  • December 9 – 5 CPBL teams have offered contract to free agent Chen Tzu-Hao. The only team that didn’t offer a contract to Chen is the Uni-Lions. [Broadcaster Wang Yi-Hsuan]
  • December 10 – Free agent Chen Yun-Wen currently has 4 offers on the table, his agency told the media that they will make a decision in the next few days. [UDN]
  • December 11 – Free agent Chan Tzu-Hsien has rejected an offer from the Rakuten Monkeys. Chan’s agent revealed they will make a decision in the coming days, choosing between the TSG Hawks and the CTBC Brothers. [ETtoday]
  • December 11 – TSG Hawks GM said they have offered free agent Chen Yun-Wen a multi-year contract of at least 4 years. [Merit Times]
  • December 12 – Free agent Chen Yun-Wen is set to make a decision in the next 2-3 days. Here are some offers on the table for Chen. Hawks offered 3-5 years deal with an annual salary of 320,000 USD. Brothers offered an annual salary of $300,000. Uni-Lions offered a 5-year deal with an annual salary of $300,000. [ETtoday]
  • December 12 – Uni-Lions’ GM said the discussions with free agent Chen Yun-Wen are heading in the right direction, and they hope to finalise the deal in the coming days. [ETtoday]
  • December 12 – Wei Chuan Dragons announced the signing of free agent Chu Yu-Hsien to a 4-year deal worth 1.6 million USD. [Wei Chuan Dragons]
  • December 13 – CTBC Brothers have offered free agent Chen Tzu-Hao a 6-year contract. Another unnamed CPBL team have reportedly offered Chen a 7-year deal. [ETtoday]
  • December 13 – TSG Hawks GM said their main focus is to sign free agent Chan Tzu-Hsien. The team have offered a 5-year deal with an annual salary of more than 320,000 USD. [Liberty Sports & ETtoday]
  • December 14 – Uni-Lions GM said they have signed free agent Chen Yun-Wen to a 5-year deal. The team will reveal his contract details at a later date. According to CNA, Chen Yun-Wen’s 5-year deal is worth approximately 1.5 million USD. [Uni-Lions & CNA]
  • December 15 – Free agent Chen Tzu-Hao currently has 4 very lucrative offers from other CPBL teams on the table. His annual salary could potentially exceed $400,000 USD. [Liberty Sports]
  • December 17 – Free agent Chen Tzu-Hao has narrowed down the list of teams he is considering signing with from 5 to 3. Dragons, Brothers and Hawks have all offered Chen a 6-year deal. [ETtoday]
  • December 17 – Free agent Chen Tzu-Hao received longer than 6-year deal from both Wei Chuan Dragons and TSG Hawks. [Broadcaster Wang Yi-Hsuan]
  • December 18 – Free agent Chen Tzu-Hao is seeking a contract with opt-out and player options. [SET News]
  • December 18 – Wei Chuan Dragons are currently the front-runner to sign free agent Chen Tzu-Hao. The total value offered by the Dragons is likely to exceed 3.08 million USD, potentially making it the largest CPBL contract. [Liberty Sports]
  • December 18 – CTBC Brothers have reportedly re-entered the bidding war for free agent Chen Tzu-Hao and have offered him a new deal exceeding 6 years. [Broadcaster Wang Yi-Hsuan]
  • December 19 – CTBC Brothers have reached an agreement with free agent Chan Tzu-Hsien. Chan’s agency revealed it is a 5-year deal. [ETtoday]
  • December 20 – Wei Chuan Dragons have offered free agent Chen Tzu-Hao a 10-year deal worth more than 4.33 million USD. The 10-year contract reportedly includes 5 guaranteed years, with the remaining years featuring an opt-out clause and player option. [Liberty Sports]
  • December 20 – Wei Chuan Dragons GM revealed that the team have free agent Chen Tzu-Hao have reached a preliminary agreement. [ETtoday]

How CPBL Free Agency Works

According to CPBL regulations, players with nine years of service are eligible to file for free agency (eight years if they studied four years in university).

Players are classified into Class A and Class B based on their annual salary, each with a different method of calculating the transfer fee.

  • Class A: Each team’s top 12 players based on their annual salary. The transfer fee (compensation) can either be 125% of the player’s annual salary or 75% of the salary, along with an additional player outside the other team’s protection list.
  • Class B: All the players outside of the top 12. The transfer fee (compensation) is a lot more straightforward. It is just 75% of the player’s salary.

Sounds confusing? Don’t worry. Here are some examples of how Classic A transfer works.

When Team A signs a free agent from Team B, Team A must submit their protection list to Team B. Upon receiving the list, Team B will then decide on the transfer fee/compensation method.

  • Method 1: Team A pays 125% of the player’s annual salary to Team B.
  • Method 2: Team A pays 75% of the player’s salary to Team B as the transfer fee. Additionally, Team B gets to select one extra player outside Team A’s protection list as compensation.

詹子賢 (Chan Tzu-Hsien) – Signed by Brothers

Chan Tzu-Hsien has been a core hitter in the Brothers’ lineup, known for his plate discipline (high BB%) and occasional power. In 2024, however, he gradually lost his everyday starting opportunities due to the Brothers’ insanely stacked outfield depth, finishing the season with a relatively low 99 wRC+ by his career standards.

Who should sign him? While the Brothers may consider shifting Chan Tzu-Hsien into a fourth outfielder role, he remains a capable hitter who could shine on a team lacking outfield depth and needing mid-range firepower. The Hawks, Dragons, and Guardians are potential fits.

  • FA Class: Class A
  • 2024 Team: CTBC Brothers
  • 2016-Present (9 seasons)
  • 30-year-old outfielder.
  • 2024 salary: $252,000 (USD)
  • Transfer fee method 1: $315,000 (USD)
  • Transfer fee method 2: $189,000 (USD) + 1 Player
  • Current Status: Signed to a 5-year deal with the Brothers.

陳子豪 (Chen Tzu-Hao) – Signed by Dragons

Nicknamed “Taiwanese Bryce Harper,” Chen Tzu-Hao is known for his impressive raw power and clutch hitting. He is one of those players who is hardly affected by the CPBL’s de-juiced ball. Chen is coming off perhaps the best seasons in his career, where he slashed .276/.355/.515 with 17 home runs and a 152 wRC+.

Who should sign him? Given Chen’s age (29) and power-hitting ability, he will likely be on every CPBL team’s radar and should land a mega contract. He’s one of the league’s most dangerous hitters, making him an extremely valuable signing with absolutely zero downside.

  • FA Class: Class A
  • 2024 Team: CTBC Brothers
  • 2013-Present (12 seasons)
  • 29-year-old outfielder
  • 2024 salary: $240,000 (USD)
  • Transfer fee method 1: $300,000 (USD)
  • Transfer fee method 2: $180,000 (USD) + 1 Player
  • Current Status: Signed a 10-year (5+5 year) deal with the Dragons worth 4.33 million USD.

陳韻文 (Chen Yun-Wen) – Signed by Uni-Lions

Chen Yun-Wen, the CPBL’s all-time saves leader with 154, has been the Uni-Lions’ go-to reliever throughout his career. He primarily relies on his fastball, cutter and splitter. While his BB% is not the best due to occasional command issues, he compensates with a high K%. Chen struggled during most of the 2024 season, but he eventually got his acts together towards the end of the season and performed exceptionally well in the postseason. In over five postseason relief appearances, he logged five scoreless innings, gave up two hits, issued no walk and struck out seven.

Who should sign him? Good, reliable relievers are highly sought after in any league, and the CPBL is no exception. Any team that signs Chen Yun-Wen will immediately strengthen its bullpen while weakening the Uni-Lions’. This signing would be beneficial for any CPBL roster.

  • FA Class: Class A
  • 2024 Team: Uni-Lions
  • 2015-Present (10 seasons)
  • 28-year-old right-handed reliever
  • 2024 salary: $240,000 (USD)
  • Transfer fee method 1: $300,000 (USD)
  • Transfer fee method 2: $180,000 (USD) + 1 Player
  • Current Status: Signed a 5-year deal worth 1.5 million USD with the Uni-Lions.

朱育賢 (Chu Yu-Hsien) – Signed by Dragons

Since his debut in 2016, Chu Yu-Hsien has been the pillar of the Monkeys offence, posting solid results year after year in a robotic fashion. He is one of those hitters who doesn’t worry too much about his high K% and high Whiff%, just purely focusing on hitting the ball as hard as possible. He finished the 2024 season with a 124 wRC+.

Who should sign him? Teams that are looking to add more power at first base or in left field. Chu Yu-Hsien would be able to offer protection to that team’s best hitter by hitting behind them in the lineup. The Hawks, Dragons, and Guardians would be an ideal fit.

Hawks need someone to protect Steven Moya, Dragons need someone to protect Giljegiljaw Kungkuan, and Guardians need someone to protect Chang Yu-Cheng.

  • FA Class: Class A
  • 2024 Team: Rakuten Monkeys
  • 2016-Present (9 seasons)
  • 32-year-old outfielder, 1st baseman
  • 2024 salary: $300,000 (USD)
  • Transfer fee method 1: $375,000 (USD)
  • Transfer fee method 2: $225,000 (USD) + 1 Player
  • Current Status: Signed a 4-year deal worth 1.6 million USD with the Wei Chuan Dragons.

What I Think: Which Player Should Be the Priority?

Despite all CPBL teams being backed by exceptionally wealthy parent companies, it doesn’t mean their “social charity” baseball teams can operate with unlimited budgets.

So, assuming each team only has limited funding to sign one free agent this offseason, here’s my take on the top priorities. Just think of it as a free-agent signing flowchart.

First, decide whether your team needs to bolster its pitching or strengthen its hitting lineup. If pitching is the focus, the choice is straightforward: throw everything you’ve got at signing Chen Yun-Wen.

If hitting is the way to go, the signing hierarchy should be Chen Tzu-Hao as the top target, followed closely by Chu Yu-Hsien and then Chan Tzu-Hsien.

Here’s my unique 6-mango rating system for the four free agents. 3 mangos means an average rating.

  1. Chen Tzu-Hao: 🥭🥭🥭🥭🥭🥭
  2. Chu Yu-Hsien: 🥭🥭🥭🥭🥭
  3. Chen Yun-Wen: 🥭🥭🥭🥭🥭
  4. Chan Tzu-Hsien: 🥭🥭🥭🥭

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

1 COMMENT

  1. I’m always in favor of professional baseball players making as much money as they can. They’re the ones putting the cans in the seats.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here