Tzu-Wei Lin To Join CPBL’s TSG Hawks

Infielder Tzu-Wei Lin has agreed to a deal with the TSG Hawks of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (hat tip to CPBL Stats on Twitter).  Lin had been playing with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League, and the Ducks announced yesterday that the Hawks had purchased the 29-year-old’s contract.

It’s a homecoming for Lin, as the Hawks play in Lin’s birthplace of Kaohsiung.  However, the signing marks Lin’s professional debut in Taiwan, as he has spent almost his entire pro career in North America since signing with the Red Sox for a $2.05MM bonus in 2012.  Most of that time was spent in Boston’s organization, including 101 Major League games with the Sox from 2017-20.  The Red Sox outrighted Lin off their roster following the 2020 campaign and he caught on with the Twins on a minor league deal, then appearing in a single MLB game during the 2021 season.

That marked Lin’s last trip to the Show, as he spent the rest of 2021 at Minnesota’s Triple-A affiliate, and he then played in the Mets’ farm system throughout 2022 without another call-up.  The Mets released Lin in August 2022 and he caught on with Long Island, plus he spent some time over the winter in the Australian Baseball League.

Lin bought a lot of versatility to the table during his big league career, appearing at every position except first base while primarily suiting up as a middle infielder.  He hit .223/.298/.316 over 218 plate appearances in the majors, and also didn’t contribute much at the plate (.245/.317/.337) over 2828 PA in the affiliated minor leagues.  Lin did hit very well during his stint with the Ducks, and it could be that he might keep this hot hitting going in front of the hometown fans in Kaohsiung.