We’ll use this post to track some of the smaller moves made around the MLB today…
- The Oakland A’s will bring lefty Wei-Chung Wang to spring training as a non-roster invitee, per the Athletic’s Melissa Lockard (via Twitter). Wang spent last season in Korea, where he earned a 4.26 ERA in 25 games for the NC Dinos of the KBO. He made brief appearances at the major league level for the Brewers in 2014 and 2017, but both cups of coffee returned disheartening results – a combined 11.09 ERA across 18 2/3 innings – including a somewhat noteworthy 2017 in which he recorded only 4 outs across 8 outings. Wang pitched well in the upper minors as recently as 2017, however, when as a then-25-year-old, he turned in a 2.05 ERA in 47 appearances out of the pen for the Brewers’ top affiliate.
If you are a lefty reliever Oakland is a good team to sign with. They have only 1 lefty in the bullpen right now. A good spring and you make the club.
He could be in green and gold opening day in Japan. They will carry a 28 man roster for that series I think, but he’ll probably be demoted to the minors after.
wang lol
I think he will do good with them. I will be kinda surprised if he doesn’t make the majors this year. Once he got in a routine he started really to come on for Milwaukee.
Oh Wei-Chung, *loooonnggg sigh* Doug Melvin thought so much of you in 2014 that he hamstrung Ron Roenicke by forcing you onto the 25 man roster as a Rule 5 selection. That 2014 Brewers team went 20-8 in April but the only other month with a winning record was June. Now we all remember the roster manipulations and lengthy DL stint coupled with the maximum amount of rehab time in the minors, but I still can’t help wondering if games that season were negatively impacted by carrying you on the roster. Maybe Doug could remember , and I’m sure Ron could. One of many epic second half collapses took place for the Brewers that year, 31-47 for July, August, September, and they still finished above .500, 6 games back of the W.C. That season made me believe that Rule 5 picks are never worth it unless you are in literally the first maybe second year of a lengthy rebuild. But no grudge against you Wei-Chung, I’ll just always remember you with this story.
Yes. This was tough to watch. I watched him shagging fly balls before a game one day with his interpreter. Must’ve felt lonely; there wasn’t a soul on the team talking to him. Unbelievable waste of a roster spot that year, which cost them a number of wins. Could’ve been used by a bench bat or a real bullpen arm. Hope he can turn it around. I honestly thought he was still in the Brewers system somewhere.
Agreed. I’m a Pirates fan so I followed it from the other perspective. I’m no expert on minor league depth but the little I knew about Wang made it pretty apparent that he was far from major league ready. For every Rule 5 diamond in the rough, it seems like there are a few other guys whose careers get derailed because they get major league experience too early, don’t do well, and never recover.
Rule 5 guys can be worth it…if they are AA or AAA guys or even high A guys. But Wang was a rookie league guy that had no business being in a big league stadium as anything other than a hot dog vendor or a fan.
How was he eligible for the rule 5 pick? He had one year In Pittsburgh’s organization.
His original contract was voided, similar to that of Elvis Luciano.
It had to do with some rule because he wasnt on Pittsburgh 40 man roster and the way he was signed. I never understood why Melvin just didnt make a trade with Pittsburgh during the season when they could have sent him down. That would’ve saved the roster spot. I mean they obviously thought enough of him during a race.
I think that Wang’s circumstances were different because he had previously pitched professionally in Korea or Japan prior to joining the Brewers, though I could be remembering that wrong.
Everybody Wei Chung tonight!
To this day, I still believe he was the main reason the Brewers did not win the 2014 NL Central title. They collapsed at the end of the year due to their bullpen being exhausted. Their bullpen was exhausted because they were playing a man down because Wang was not being used because he was nowhere near ready to pitch to big league hitters. The only time they ever put him in games were in laughers and even then they sometimes didn’t put him in.
The worst part of it was when Milwaukee DFA’d him midway through the next season. I mean if you are going to blow a season, it should at least be for a guy that can stick with you for at least a few seasons.
Further proof of his not being near mlb ready was that he actually was on and off the 40 man roster 2 or 3 times over the past few years and the last time was being dropped for LoCain last year according to this fine website here.
Always got to wonder if being a Rule V pick and fast tracked to the Big League had ruined his development. Brewers that year either threw him into fire or not use him at all before optioning all the way back to A-ball.
everybody Wei Chung tonight