*Despite the competitive nature of the games, the future of the Asia Series is up in the air. Poor attendance compounded with no sponsorship (Konami pulled out this year) and television put the entire financial burden on the NPB. Read more here.
*Yu-Chieh Shen's bid to play in Japan might be over. He's received no interest from NPB teams after his recent workout.
*Another former CT Whale, Fu-Te Ni appears to be a hot commodity these days. The lefty has been contacted by multiple teams. Word is that on top of the Mariners' offer, the Cubs, Twins, Braves, Tigers, and Yokohama Baystars all have some level of interest in Ni. MLB sent a letter to the CPBL's international office asking for Ni's clearance status.
*CPBL not an option? Well that's the current mindset of some amateur players in Taiwan (including 2007 top pick Yi-Chuan Lin). With the state of the league in shambles because of the gambling scandal, more players are opting to join amateur teams (Taiwan Coop Bank as well as the Taiwan Power club). Why? Well, the two key words are job security. The starting salary with the Taiwan Coop Bank is 55,000 NT a month (~$1,650 USD). Also, players after retiring can transition into an office position with the company and earn a retirement pension.
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