WALDORF, MD – The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs have announced that they have signed veteran pitcher Chien-Ming Wang. He will join the team immediately and is scheduled to start on Thursday against the visiting York Revolution.
Wang, 35, first debuted with the New York Yankees organization in April of 2005. The Taiwanese righty would remain in the Yankees organization until 2009 and would follow with stints with the Washington Nationals and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Through eight seasons at the Major League level, Wang had his best overall performances in 2006 and 2007. Posting 19 wins and just 6 losses with a 3.63 ERA for the Yankees in 2006, Wang finished second to Johan Santana in voting for the Cy Young Award. In 2007, Wang once again notched 19 wins for the Yankees with a 3.70 ERA. He recorded noteworthy 0.5 and 0.4 home run per nine innings (HR9) lines in 2006 and 2007 respectively.
2011 and 2012 saw Wang in a Washington Nationals uniform, and he pitched in 21 games with 16 starts for the team over the course of the two seasons. His most recent Major League experience came in 2013 with the Toronto Blue Jays, where he started in six games.
“As long as I can pitch, I want to challenge myself,” said Wang. “I don’t know if I can return to the Major Leagues, but I know I love baseball. I realize that as a 35-year-old pitcher with an injury history, I have to work twice as hard to have a chance, but I feel like the Atlantic League is one of the best platforms for getting back to a Major League organization. As long as I have an opportunity to pitch in this league and at the professional level, I have a chance to move back up, so I am going to give it everything I’ve got.”
Joining a Blue Crabs team that is currently in command of the Freedom Division lead as the season approaches the end of the first half, Wang will contribute to a pitching staff that holds a 3.38 ERA. He has the ability to throw a four-seam fastball, slider, changeup and splitter.
“I don’t think there is any question that Wang is the biggest name that the Blue Crabs have ever signed,” said Blue Crabs Manager Stan Cliburn. “While this is an incredible opportunity for fans to see a fantastic pitcher, we are also going to be able to utilize Wang’s supreme talent and veteran experience to hopefully win some more ballgames as we make a playoff push.”