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The Yankees Now Have A Wang And A Zhang

Zhenwang Zhang To The Yankees

Open the floodgates. First it was Japan, then South Korea…could China become the next Far East outlet for American baseball prospects? The New York Yankees seem to think so. Even though the Yankees are not officially the first MLB team to hire a Chinese born baseball player, they are the first club to have the Chinese baseball association’s approval.

The New York Yankees have signed Kai Liu (19-year-old left-handed pitcher) and Zhenwang Zhang (19-year-old catcher), making them the 2nd and 3rd Chinese baseball emigrants [Yankees sign two Chinese teenagers]. The terms of the deals have not been disclosed. Wang Chao was the first Chinese baseball player to migrate to the U.S. in 2002 when he signed with the Mariners.

By bargaining with the Chinese baseball association instead of going around the organization, the Yankees have now established a relationship that the Mariners lack. The Yankees now have the trust of China baseball and may look to bring more prospects to the United States in the near future. One thing is certain: Liu and Zhang will not be the last Chinese baseball players to make their way to the U.S. This is yet another area that sports agents can scout and hope to attain future clients in.

Think about this…the Yankees are the biggest market team in America. China is the largest emerging market. The MLB is looking to play some games in China next year. The Yankees want to be one of the teams that plays in China next year. The Olympics will be held in Beijing, China next year, and baseball is supposed to once again be a recognized sport. I think that this is a smart move by the Yankees, and you may see other teams following suit.

-Darren Heitner

By Darren Heitner

Darren Heitner created Sports Agent Blog as a New Year's Resolution on December 31, 2005. Originally titled, "I Want To Be A Sports Agent," the website was founded with the intention of causing Heitner to learn more about the profession that he wanted to join, meet reputable individuals in the space and force himself to stay on top of the latest news and trends.

Heitner now runs Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., which is a law firm with many practice areas, including sports law and contract law. Heitner has represented numerous athletes and sports agents as legal counsel. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington from 2011-2014, where he created and taught a course titled, Sport Agency Management, which included subjects ranging from NCAA regulations to athlete agent certification and the rules governing the profession. Heitner serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he teaches a Sports Law class that includes case law surrounding athlete agents and the NCAA rules.

One reply on “The Yankees Now Have A Wang And A Zhang”

Like almost all types of business if you do not look globally you will never keep up. Good for the Yankees getting a head start and more importantly good for baseball as a whole.

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