Former MLB pitchers Drew Gagnon and Eric Stout have recently joined teams in Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). Gagnon, who was named the CPBL MVP, has re-signed with the Wei Chuan Dragons for a two-year deal. Meanwhile, Stout, a left-handed pitcher who has previously played for the Royals, Cubs, and Pirates, has signed with the CPBL’s CTBC Brothers. Stout finished the 2023 season with the Brothers after starting the year with the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate.
Gagnon, 33, has been a key player for the Dragons over the past three seasons, establishing himself as one of the top starters in the CPBL. Since his debut in 2021, he has pitched 451 1/3 innings with an impressive 3.07 ERA, a 20.5% strikeout rate, and a 6.4% walk rate. Last season, Gagnon pitched a personal-high of 183 innings, recording a 3.00 ERA, a 20.8% strikeout rate, and a 5.9% walk rate.
Although Gagnon hasn’t played in the MLB since his brief stint with the Mets in 2018-19, he has found success in other leagues. In the 2020 season, he played for the KBO’s Kia Tigers, posting a 4.34 ERA in 159 2/3 innings. His new two-year contract with the Dragons is one of the most lucrative deals for a foreign player in CPBL history.
Stout, on the other hand, had been pitching in the bullpen for the Mariners’ Triple-A team but transitioned into a starting role in Taiwan. He made 12 starts for the Brothers, recording a 3.28 ERA, a 27.9% strikeout rate, and a 4.6% walk rate in 68 2/3 innings. He will return to the Brothers’ rotation for the upcoming season. It is not uncommon for CPBL pitchers to attract interest from larger Asian leagues, such as the KBO and NPB, or even MLB teams.
In his limited MLB experience, Stout has pitched just 24 2/3 innings with a high 7.30 ERA. In Triple-A, he has a 4.63 ERA in 286 innings over six seasons. However, he has shown promising results in recent years with the Pirates, Cubs, and Mariners’ affiliates. While Stout received some interest from MLB clubs earlier in the offseason, he has chosen to continue his career in Taiwan, hoping to secure a multi-year deal or a larger contract with a team in the KBO, NPB, or even MLB in the future.
According to the Source mlbtraderumors.com