TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — It has been a challenging year for Yu Chang (張育成), the only Taiwanese to play in U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2023.
In March, he provided the firepower and MVP play to spark Taiwan’s World Baseball Classic hopes, eventually gaining a starting utility position for the Red Sox.
However, a wrist fracture in April led to months of missed time, and a hitting slump when he returned in early July, led him to be dropped from the roster on Wednesday (Aug. 9), per UDN. Yu Chang’s spot on the 40-man roster went to shortstop Trevor Story, who was moved from the 60-day injury list.
Due to Yu Chang’s tenure in the Major Leagues, he is currently "out of options," meaning he can not be sent directly to the Minor Leagues, but must be designated by the team for transfer (DFA), which involves being placed on the waiver wire.
Yu Chang can now be claimed by any team in the Major Leagues within the next seven days that is willing to give him a spot on their active roster. If he goes unclaimed on the waiver wire during this time, he may be sent directly to the Minor Leagues or released outright.
Yu Chang has proven adept at playing all four positions in the infield, earning him the nickname "Minister of Defense." His performance at the plate has been an issue throughout his career.
During the 39 games he played for the Red Sox this year, he only eked out 17 hits in 105 plate appearances for a low batting average of .162. Moreover, his overall strikeout rate was quite high at 30.4%.
Red Sox Manager Alex Cora applauded 27-year old Yu Chang’s defensive ability and believes some teams in the league may put him on their roster in the next few days.
According to a report by MLB Trade Rumors reporter Darragh McDonald, it is possible for Yu Chang to garner interest from another Major League ballclub, potentially a team that is not in playoff contention that can provide playing time for Yu Chang to regain his hitting form.