Free agent infielder Yu Chang is reportedly drawing interest from three big league teams (h/t to CPBL Stats).
Chang, 27, suited up for four teams last year, making appearances for the Guardians, Red Sox, Pirates and Rays. He slashed a combined .208/.289/.315 with four home runs over 190 plate appearances, striking out in 31.1% of those and walking 8.4% of the time.
Signed by the Guardians out of Taiwan in 2013, Chang made his debut with Cleveland as a 23-year-old in 2019. He wouldn’t get many opportunities at the big league level in his first few seasons, but did get an extended run in 2021. That year, Chang slashed .228/.267/.426 with nine home runs over 251 plate appearances. Cleveland designated him for assignment after appearing in just four games in 2022, and he’s bounced round the league a bit since.
Defensively, Chang has generally spent time at first, second and third base, although he has seen a little bit of time at shortstop as well. Over his career, he’s been worth two Outs Above Average at first, three at second and four at third.
While it’s not known what sort of interest he’s getting around the majors, it seems likely he’d land on a minor league deal providing some infield depth in case of injuries. As such, it’s largely pointless to try and speculate which three teams may be interested as just about any team could do with a bit more infield depth on minor league deals.
Didn’t do well with the Bucs.
Regardless, these three teams are hoping he’s a good Chang of scenery candidate
He shares a border with the Dutch.
@Lars
There are only two things I can’t stand in this world: People who are intolerant of other people’s cultures, and the Dutch.
Thank you for getting that cpdpoet
@Lars, gotcha……saw it in the theatre.
It’s one of those lines that after you hear it you’re like -wait what?-
AND then it sticks forever……
Terrible pun. I chuckled though.
Hey! Three teams had interest in Chang during 2022, but they lost it once they had him.
Holy cow!
In the year 2022 A.D. this man had “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” as his walk-up music. YUUUUU!
That’s actually been his walk up song since the minors, in a 2018 AA game he had it as well
STOVE STILL HOT
“Stove still hot” is a phrase within the MLB community meaning that lots of high profile transactions have and are about to happen. Yu Chang, although still only 27 with some promising defensive upside is not necessarily keeping the stove hot as he is a player who carries a relatively low profile.
Thanks for the clarification Debbie Downer
Why my name is not Debbie Downer although she is an acquittance of mine. No I’m Sir Buzz Killington.
Oakland, Detroit, and Pittsburgh?
Change his stage name to Wu Tang and welcome him to Detroit.
That might sell a few tickets, and his expected salary will fit in squarely with Tiger plans. Hope he and his wonderful wife enjoy, or at least tolerate, square pizza and losing.
Whoa! We got some WTC up in here! That’s some old school lyric, man….. I recall their album Wu Tang Forever i think, in like…..sixth grade.
Yu Rang?
Yu Funny 🙂
He looks like minor league depth at this point.
Doubt Red Sox interest at ML level, they need left-handed hitting IF. But, as minor league depth, I suppose, but still rather find a LH.
Thank god the Sox didn’t bring him back
Jays need to sign him and put him at short so they can move Bo to second. Worst defensive short stop I’ve ever seen
While I agree Bo should move off SS. It’s not for Yu Chang to be the incumbent
Can u imagine being bo status and u get replaced by yu Chang cuz that’s what a fan wants
O wow u want Chang because u don’t like bo glove lol
Him and his wife are wonderful people, hope Chang can get a contract and stick somewhere
Everybody Yu Chang tonight.
@NoNeckWilliams:
Cool screen name. That was one of the cooler player nicknames from my youth!
Yu Chang clan ain’t nuthin to F@$% with
Yup did good in his tiny stint with the Rays then we dropped him. From tha small sample, he’s a good bench player. Would be a solid pick up imo
Looking at his stats, he seems like a near ideal choice to F@$% with.
Guy moves around so much you’d think his name was Yu Change
Yu Chang
That sparkle in your eyes is gone
Your smile is just a careless yawn
You’re breaking my heart, Yu Chang
Yu crazy by not stating the interested teams! The 3 he played for cool. Unless I’m blind didn’t read any interested teams. Yu be desperate to take a roster spot on him
“While it’s not known what sort of interest he’s getting around the majors, it seems likely he’d land on a minor league deal providing some infield depth in case of injuries. As such, it’s largely pointless to try and speculate which three teams may be interested as just about any team could do with a bit more infield depth on minor league deals.”
Yeah I read that. Why report there are 3 teams? Seems a bit odd if you know the number but not even one team. Plus + he’s not worth a roster spot. Nice copy and paste job
Why complain about it when the source was a Twitter account focused on Chinese baseball, and the MLBTR author noted that it’s likely for a minor league deal as a depth player to be called up in the event of injuries?
But thanks for complimenting my copy-and-paste skills. I take enormous pride in that.
A story about nothing.
Yu crazy!
It may be nothing to you, but it’s not nothing to Yu.
Might take a major league deal to secure him given the interest.
Possibly a split deal, with an opt-out in May or June.
Reports: Angels one of the 3 teams “interested”. Not wanted to miss out, offering a 3 year $24M deal to squash any other potential suitors.
“We dont pay for results, we pay for potential.” -FO inside source, 12/31/2022
Hate to be negative 2 days into the new year but …….Wow, another analytics buoyed ballplayer who your eyes would say stinks, but the holy two outs above average and he’s a major league ballplayer……..can’t believe that major league ball clubs can find any guy from the minors who could give them the same “potential” with the bat and glove……
They probably can. Sometimes you take a chance on catching lightning in a bottle.
Breakout candidate of the year?
I wouldn’t hold my breath
Yu-Cheng Chang Chain,
Chang of (5) Tools
Eh, I watched him for his run in CLE, and there’s just not much to see here. If you’re interested in Yu Chang, you’ve got some serious organizational issues. Maybe the Tigers, Royals or Red Sox (again) are those teams, but I’d be shocked if any of them are any kind of contenders.
Now you’re speaking my Chang-uage.