SCOTSDALE, Ariz. — The Braves signed veteran pitcher Chien-Ming Wang, a Cy Young Award runner-up eight years ago, to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training.
Wang, who’ll be 35 in March, hasn’t started more than six games in a major league season since 2011 and spent last season with Reds and White Sox Triple-A affiliates, compiling a 13-8 record and 4.12 ERA in 28 starts, with 73 strikeouts and 57 walks in 172 2/3 innings. That innings total is as big a reason as any for the interest from the Braves, who needed to add depth in their minor league system.
The Taiwanese right-hander last pitched in the majors for Toronto in 2013, going 1-2 with a 7.67 ERA in six starts. He was 2-3 with a 6.68 ERA in 10 games (five starts) for the Nationals in 2012.
Wang signed with the Yankees as an amateur free agent in 2000, made his major league debut in 2005, and went 19-6 with a 3.63 ERA in 218 innings in his first full season in 2006, despite totaling just 76 strikeouts. He matched that win total again in 2007, going 19-7 with a 3.70 ERA in 199 1/3 innings.
His career was derailed by a serious foot injury while running the bases in June 2008. After going 38-13 with a 3.67 ERA in 64 games (63 starts) during 2006-2007, Wang is 16-16 with a 5.67 ERA in 54 games (46 starts) in the majors since the beginning of the 2008 season.
