The Pittsburgh Pirates must add to their bullpen this offseason. The free-agent market will offer plenty of options for the Pirates to reinforce their bullpen. However, one especially interesting option recently became available. Taiwanese right-hander Jyun Yue Tseng was recently posted by his Chinese Professional Baseball League team, the Fubon Guardians. He is now looking for an opportunity in MLB, and the Pirates should consider kicking the tires on Tseng.
Mason Montgomery is entrenched as the Pirates’ closer, with trade deadline acquisition Luke Weaver and breakout right-hander Yohan Ramirez, who went from a depth reliever to a high-leverage arm, as his setup men. The rest of the ‘pen, however, is largely unproven. Relievers including Carmen Mlodzinski, Evan Sisk, Lake Bachar, Noah Murdock, Brandon Eisert, and former top prospects Wilber Dotel and Antowne Kelly will all be vying for major league roster spots on the Pirates’ pitching staff to open 2027. Enter Tseng?
Apr 22, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; A general overall view of Honus Wagner statue at PNC Park. The stadium is the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Jyun Yue Tseng Looking to Make His Way to MLB
Tseng finished up his sixth season in the CPBL. Although Baseball-Reference does not list how many innings the right-hander pitched, he allowed only nine earned runs and three home runs in 48 total appearances. He struck out 65 of the 199 batters he faced, while allowing just 13 free passes and 36 total hits. Tseng has served as the Guardians’ closer since his debut in 2021, recording 91 saves over the last six seasons. 2026 was his best campaign yet.
What we do know is that Tseng pitched extremely well in the five seasons prior to 2026. From 2021 through 2025, the Taiwanese righty posted a 2.02 ERA, struck out 26% of opponents, and handed out a walk to 8.2% of opponents he faced. Tseng allowed just seven home runs as well.
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Tseng Has MLB-Caliber Stuff Already
Don’t let Tseng’s 5’8″, 149-pound frame fool you; he has some power on the mound. The right-hander works in the mid-to-upper-90s, having topped out at 99 MPH in the past. He appeared in two games for Team Chinese Taipei during the World Baseball Classic and averaged around 95 MPH with his fastball. His four-seamer showed above-average induced vertical break at 17.4 inches.
Aside from his four-seam fastball, FanGraphs states he throws a slurve. He also used an upper-80s cutter during this year’s WBC. Tseng has flashed solid command over his entire arsenal. He posted his lowest single-season walk rate in 2026, and his career BB% in the CPBL is only 7.9%. Tseng has stuff that would translate to Major League Baseball.
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What Sort of Contract Is Tseng Looking For?
The question is what sort of contract could Tseng land in MLB? Tseng just turned 25 this month. Previously, Yuki Matsui, who was a dominant closer in his respective Asian league, in his case, Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League, signed a three-year contract worth $28 million guaranteed with the San Diego Padres.
Of course, there are some differences. 2024, Matsui’s rookie year in MLB, he was 28 years old, with ten years of experience in NPB prior to signing with the Padres. He is also left-handed, compared to Tseng, who is a righty reliever. NPB is also considered the highest level of professional baseball in Asia, while CPBL is considered below both Japan’s NPB and South Korea’s Korean Baseball Organization (KBO).
Why Jyun Yue Tseng Would Fit the Pirates’ Bullpen Now
Regardless, given his age, the Pirates could sign Tseng for multiple seasons. That is important, as Weaver is a free agent after the 2027 season, and Yohan Ramirez is a free agent after the 2028 campaign. Tseng may not immediately start his MLB career in a high-leverage role; however, he could certainly work his way into one after accumulating some experience in US baseball and acclimating himself to his new environment.
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Tseng would certainly be a step up from Evan Sisk, Brandon Eisert, and Noah Murdock, and would allow the Pirates to use Wilber Dotel and Antwone Kelly as starters or long relievers. Depending on how the offseason goes, Mlodzinski may not be an option for the Pirates if they trade him. Even as a middle reliever, the Pirates could find plenty of use for Jyun Yue Tseng, and could slowly work him into higher leverage situations as the season goes on.
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Orion Kerkering is a Change-of-Scenery Trade Candidate for the Pirates
Main Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
