Taiwan's pitcher Chen reaches deal with Marlins

Taiwanese left-handed pitcher Chen Wei-Yin has agreed to a five-year Major League Baseball contract worth $80 million (73.7 million euros) with the Miami Marlins, according to the team's website.

The deal reportedly includes an opt-out clause after two years and a sixth season option for Chen, a 30-year-old free agent who had been a starter for the Baltimore Orioles since 2012. The Orioles will get a 2016 second-round draft pick in return.

Chen went 11-8 with a 3.34 earned-run average over 31 starts last year and in four North American seasons since leaving Japan's Chunichi Dragons has gone 46-32 with a 3.72 earned-run average over 706 2/3 innings in 117 starts.

Chen's contract is by far the richest ever award to a pitcher by the Marlins, who have been more than four years since signing a veteran free agent hurler.

His best Japanese season came in 2009, when he led the Japan league with a 1.54 earned-run average.

Source: AFP