+3
Details of Chien-Ming Wang's contract with the Nationals have been released, and according to the AP, he will make a $2m base salary in 2010, with up to $3m in performance bonuses. Many of the bonuses are likely based on games started and innings pitched, meaning that a healthy Wang would earn more than his base.
Because Wang has fewer than five years of Major League service time, the Nationals control his rights through the 2011 season. Even though they only signed Wang to a one-year contract, he will be eligible for arbitration after the season, unless he is non-tendered or signed to an extension.
Last week’s rumors proved to be true Tuesday: Former Yankees starting pitcher Chien-Ming Wang has agreed to terms with the Nationals. The details of the deal aren’t yet known, but it’s believed to be a low-risk deal worth about $2-3 million per year.
Wang only pitched in 12 games last season because of shoulder injuries. He may not be available to join the team until May as he recovers from surgery.
The team is expected to announce the signing at a press conference on Friday afternoon.
Wang, the former Yankee workhorse who is coming off shoulder surgery and a lost season, appears to be close to deciding where he will sign. And while there are some conflicting reports floating around, Jon Heyman says the following:
what i'm hearing on chien-ming wang is that he's going to decide between #nats and 1 other team within 10 days.
#dodgers have pulled out of wang derby. if it was indeed 2-team race, he's headed for #nats. @PeteAbe said nats this morn.
If you can pardon the Twitter-speak, the take-home message is that, if Wang was deciding between Washington and LA, he seems to be headed to the former. The Boston Globe's Pete Abraham reported that Wang already decided on the Nationals this morning.
Wang is an unquestionable risk, and if the Dodgers pulled out after watching him throw, that implies that he wasn't very impressive. However, he's probably looking at a small incentive-based contract, and with that in mind, he could be a good risk for a team whose current 1-2 is John Lannan and Jason Marquis. When he's going well, Wang is an extreme groundball pitcher who eats up innings, and while he's never been able to strike anyone out, keeping the ball down helps him avoid the home run. Avoiding the home run is pretty critical. Wang's only allowed 41 dingers over 670.2 Major League innings for a rate of just 0.55 per 9, roughly half the AL average.
If Wang never recovers, he'll be a lost cause, but at a small commitment, he's a low-risk acquisition with a fair amount of upside. You can follow the story at Nationals blog Federal Baseball.
Chien-Ming Wang A Possibility To Return For Nationals In July
With all the Stephen Strasburg mania, and the lesser, much more composed Drew Storen mania, it would be easy to forget that the Nationals have other pitchers. Other talented pitchers, no less. One of them is Chien-Ming Wang, and though the former Yankee was signed with the knowledge that he'd miss a good chunk of the season recovering from shoulder surgery, he is nearing his return from the DL:
At six out of first, the Nationals are a long shot, but they are beginning to load up their bullets. And even if a pennant race isn't in the cards in 2010, the picture for 2011 is looking rosy, should Wang, Jordan Zimmerman, and Ross Detwiler be able to come back with success.
Jun 15 6:17p by Jeff Sullivan - 0 comments