Boston Red Sox sign Taiwanese pitcher Chih-Jung Liu

The Boston Red Sox have added an interesting prospect to their farm system, as they have inked Taiwanese pitcher Chih-Jung Liu.

At one point, the Boston Red Sox had an impressive farm system. While it may not have been the best in the game, the Red Sox were expected to have quite a few impact players reach the majors in the next few years, giving them a young roster to build around.

Then, Dave Dombrowski happened. While his moves led to a World Series title in 2018, they also left the Red Sox prospect cupboard essentially bare. Rafael Devers proved to be a potential star in Boston, but aside from the possibility of Triston Casas, it is a system devoid of any potential top 100 prospects.

Despite the fact that the team does not have an actual general manager at present, that has not stopped the Red Sox from making moves. They made one intriguing addition earlier this week, signing Taiwanese pitcher Chih-Jung Liu to a $750,000 signing bonus.

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Liu could actually be considered a two way prospect as well. He had taken some time away from the mound due to his workload in high school, playing second base in college. A switch hitter, he has displayed decent pop at the plate, keeping himself in the lineup while resting his arm. Liu had played short in high school, and is considered to have solid range and an excellent arm defensively.

That arm was on display when he returned to the mound. The 20 year old righty had been clocked at 98 MPH recently, giving Boston a high octane arm to develop. While there is little information about his secondary pitches, that fastball is enough to grab the attention of any team.

For now, the Red Sox are planning on having Liu focus exclusively on the mound. It remains to be seen what type of role he will have in the organization moving forward, but that will likely depend on how his other offerings develop. If nothing else, with that impressive fastball, Liu could be a weapon in the bullpen moving forward.

The Boston Red Sox farm system needs a lot of work, but they did add an interesting piece in Chih-Jung Liu.