The Cubs announced today that they have released righty Jen-Ho Tseng, as Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune was among those to tweet. He had been designated for assignment recently.
Now 24 years of age, Tseng originally signed with the Cubs out of Taiwan in 2013. He has produced good results at times in the minors, but the club obviously did not feel he was likely to provide much at the game’s highest level.
After a strong 2017 showing in the upper minors, Tseng was knocked around last year for a 6.27 ERA in 136 1/3 Triple-A innings. Tseng did manage a reasonably promising combination of 7.6 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, and a 48.4% groundball rate, and was likely unfortunate to carry only a 59.2% strand rate, but he was also touched for twenty long balls.
Tseng only has eight MLB frames under his belt, over which he has compiled an impressive 11:2 K/BB ratio. But he has also surrendered three home runs and eight earned runs in that brief span. Tseng struggled badly in limited Cactus League action this spring.
I wonder if he was still in extended spring training and never sent to a minor league affiliate before this decision was made? I do not see any 2019 MiLB stats.
Yes. I think that was the case Cubs had enough minor league SP at AAA already, and not much room at AA either.
Was this the kid who was a super prospect originally?
No, I do not think he was ever a top 100 prospect
i think he was well regarded as far as cubs prospects starting out, and mightve scratched or gotten close to a top 100 spot at some point.
Yeah he was briefly a top 10, maybe top 5 Cubs prospect, but I don’t believe he was ever considered much in terms of MLB prospects.
He was always a fringe guy who got by largely off of a strong WBC showing in 2012 or 2013.
If I recall correctly he got like a $1 million or so signing bonus from either Taiwan or Korea (I forget which), and was rated about 8th-10th in a really good farm system back when Bryant, Schwarber, Baez, etc. were prospects.
Taiwan
$1.625m ranked as the #29 int’l prospect at the time
mlbtraderumors.com/2013/08/cubs-sign-jen-ho-tseng-…
It was known his absolute ceiling was depth starter in mlb.
I’ll wager my next paycheck he signs overseas in the KBO
How do we even know you are employed before we take you up on that offer?
In all likelihood, he’s either going to a team that needs starting pitching. Or he signs a minor league deal and perhaps Taiwan pays for his release so a CPBL team can draft him like what happened with CC Lee last year.
I bet some team picks him up (dodgers) and changes or tweaks a couple things and he turns out to be decent or solid piece. Starter or reliever.
No loss.
Cubs should release Darvish.
You should follow soccer.
White Sox fans really seem to hate the Cubs. I knew there was some north sider/south sider bad blood but the pain must be deeper than I thought
It’s pathological for some Sox fans. It’s like Yankees – Red Sox or Cubs – Cardinals. But it doesn’t make much sense because they’re not division rivals. They do play interleague but it’s 4-6 games of an almost postseason-like feel.
Perfectly logical suggestion. My guess is Darvish retires long before his contract expires with the cubs.
Why would he do that when he can milk the Cubs for 5 more years?
It’s not about the money for him. If he can’t pitch well and stay healthy, he’ll step away the game. He’s said as much in the past.
So you’d rather give Tyler Chatwood more starts?! I would like to keep my food down.
lol
Start ex-Sox Q with fewer days rest. Best SP on the Cubs.
Noooooo. I’ll miss you, my little Jen Ho.