"Hsu is considering a jump to either MLB or Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan this offseason. Hsu himself told reporters that he's already visited Japan and had dinner with NPB legend Sadaharu Oh, who now serves as the chief baseball officer for the SoftBank Hawks. According to Taiwanese outlet TSNA, Hsu has also garnered stateside interest from the Dodgers. CPBL players can be posted for international free agency with the permission of their club after they've reached three years of service time."
"Hsu, 25, is in the midst of that process now and will market himself coming off a 2025 season where he pitched to a sterling 2.05 ERA with a 28.0% strikeout rate across 19 starts and 114 innings of work. That workload is fairly standard for the 119-game CPBL season, but it leaves questions about how well he'd be able to handle the rigors of a 162-game schedule as a starter in the big leagues."
"Eric Longenhagen and James Fegan of Fangraphs took a look at Hsu's profile last month and suggested that it's "probable" most MLB clubs will view him as a reliever as he was unable to maintain his top velocity throughout even that 19-start campaign in the CPBL this year. Longehagen and Fegan both suggest that Hsu has the talent to be a late-inning set-up man in the majors."
Hsu, a 25-year-old right-hander for the Wei Chuan Dragons, is pursuing international posting for MLB or Nippon Professional Baseball this offseason. He visited Japan and met NPB legend Sadaharu Oh, and Taiwanese reports indicate interest from the Dodgers. CPBL posting rules allow players to seek international free agency after three years of service. Hsu posted a 2.05 ERA with a 28.0% strikeout rate across 19 starts and 114 innings in 2025, a workload typical for the CPBL but smaller than MLB starters face. Fangraphs scouts view him as probable MLB relief candidate with late-inning potential, while Japan could offer starter development and financial upside.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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