[Wei-Yin] Chen gives Orioles left-handed starter

I didn’t see an NMA animation for this, unfortunately :-(

In the latest move of the ongoing effort to stabilize their starting rotation, the Orioles officially signed left-hander Wei-Yin Chen out of Taiwan on Tuesday, agreeing to a three-year contract that includes a club option for 2015…

“It’s a unique situation based upon his age, the fact that he’s left-handed, our need and the acquisition cost was really [just] the cost of the contract,” Duquette said of Chen, who was not subject to a posting fee because he was released by the Chunichi Dragons…

Chen spent the past four years with the Dragons in Japan’s Central League, going 38-30 with a 2.48 ERA in 117 games (88 starts). The lefty posted a 2.68 ERA in 25 appearances last season and will be the first Taiwanese-born player in Orioles history, as Duquette, who also signed Japanese pitcher Tsuyoshi Wada earlier this offseason, continues to ramp up the organization’s international efforts.

Chen works off a fastball that routinely clocks in between 92-94 mph, and he is lauded for his exceptional command and use of a “slurve-like” breaking ball for his out pitch. His signing, coupled with Wada and the club’s trade for Dana Eveland, gives the O’s depth at the starting pitching position, fostering competition among their young hurlers and ensuring that setup man Jim Johnson will remain in the bullpen… While Wada could also be moved to the bullpen depending on what happens in camp, Chen figures to be solely used as a starter.