The Marlins announced that left-hander Wei-Yin Chen has cleared waivers and been released. This move boils down to little more than a formality, as Chen was designated for assignment last week and no team was ever going to claim the remaining $22MM on his contract (which expires at the end of the 2020 season).
Chen, now 34, was a steady source of quality innings from 2012-15 in Baltimore, pitching to a 3.72 ERA in the hitter-friendly AL East while averaging 29.25 starts and 176 innings per year. That durability and reliability led the Marlins to invest a whopping five-year, $80MM contract in the lefty when he hit the free-agent market, but the deal went south almost immediately.
Chen barely kept his ERA under 5.00 and tossed just 123 1/3 innings in his first year with the Marlins. A UCL injury wiped out nearly all of his 2017 season and much of the 2018 campaign, and he pitched just 68 1/3 innings of ineffective relief work in 2019. Overall, he recorded a dismal 5.10 ERA in 358 innings with Miami.
Now that he’s a free agent, Chen is free to sign with any club, and a new team would only owe him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the Major League roster. That sum would be subtracted from the $22MM owed to Chen by the Miami organization, but at this point the Marlins have accepted the fact that they’re on the hook for the vast majority of his remaining guarantee.
Thank god he’s gone
Marlins got about nothing out of this deal. Probably their worst free agency signing. Orioles should sign him to a minors deal and give him a invite to spring training. I think there’s zero chance anyone gives him a major league contract at this point.
I did not see that coming.
Dude was solid back when he was with the Orioles, maybe he should go back to the NPB?
Might be a good idea. Mariners should sign him to a minor league deal. Last shot I’d guess.
At this point in his career, I’m guessing that’s where he’s headed, especially with the money situation.
When we look at why owners and management who are increasingly reluctant to give players and their agents (in this case Scott Boras who did his typical misleading spin/hype job on this player) big deals, this would be a great place to start.
Let me see…how many times as a Marlins fan have I been this happy to see someone gone from our roster?
Chris Agila (just so they would stop bringing him up to take up a spot)
Vic Darensbourg
Renyel Pinto
Kevin Gregg
Heath Bell
Mike Morse
Jarrod Saltalamacchia
Ricky Nolasco
Mike Dunn
To be fair, Wei Yin Chen had an unfortunate injury. These other guys just blew because they lacked testicular fortitude.
Shame the contract went so poorly. Knoa someone who was his neighbor down in Florida when he was with the Orioles who said Chen and his family are lovely people.
Chen is one of those guys that makes no sense. He goes from being above average in the AL — pitching his home games in a hitter friendly park, in arguably the toughest division to pitch in — to pretty darn awful in the NL, with his home park being cavernous Marlins Park.
Obviously the elbow injury is worthy of some blame for his struggles in Miami, but still. It was impossible to see that level of regression coming.
I’m surprised Loria did not get Dade County taxpayers to pay Chen’s contract.