CPBL Foreign Players Updates Volume #380
Uni-Lions News: Joe Wieland
On March 7, the Uni-Lions announced the signing of 35-year-old American right-hander Joe Wieland for the 2025 CPBL season. According to the team, Wieland is expected to arrive in Taiwan in late March.
Fun fact: With his experience in multiple professional leagues, Joe Wieland will become the 27th member of the exclusive “Pro Ball Grand Slam Club“, a group of players who have competed in MLB, NPB, KBO, and CPBL.
Joe Wieland began his professional career in 2008 in the Texas Rangers’ system and eventually made his MLB debut with the San Diego Padres. From 2012 to 2016, he pitched a total of 52.2 innings in the majors with a 6.32 ERA while playing for the Padres, Dodgers, and Mariners.
From 2017 to 2018, Joe Wieland played in NPB with the Yokohama DeNA Baystars, posting a 3.80 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over 225 innings. In 2019, he moved to KBO, signing with the KIA Tigers, where he recorded a 4.75 ERA and 1.51 WHIP across 165 innings.
After his stint in Asia, Joe Wieland spent the next few seasons bouncing between various Triple-A teams (Rays and A’s) and even playing in the American Association. In 2024, he pitched in the Mexican League for the Olmecas de Tabasco, registering a 2.95 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over 39.2 innings.
With the signing of Joe Wieland, the Uni-Lions now have Yohander Méndez, C.C. Mercedes, Brock Dykxhoorn, and Félix Peña as their foreign players. According to the Uni-Lions’ GM, the team will begin the 2025 CPBL season with those five pitchers.
Further Readings
Foreign players come and go. Therefore, we have compiled a foreign player tracker, and I’ll be updating that list regularly to keep pace with the ever-changing roster shuffle throughout the 2025 CPBL season.
Wieland has the right pedigree, but there are some real questions about how much he has left at age 35. I wouldn’t expect him to throw 140 innings in a CPBL season, and I doubt he’ll pitch enough to qualify for the ERA title.
It will be interesting to see if Rakuten and Fubon each sign a fifth foreign pitcher before the 2025 season starts. I like the idea of at least signing a low cost, Indy-A league type the team could take a good look at at the minor league level for 90 days.
Very likely. CPBL teams will generally bring a “cheaper” pitcher as their 5th or 6th. Apparently, Joe Wieland didn’t want to be the backup pitcher, bu eventually accepted the contract.