Wei Chuan Dragons confirm interest in ex-MLB outfielder Stuart Fairchild

Taipei, July 4 (CNA) Wei Chuan Dragons manager Yeh Chun-chang (葉君璋) confirmed Saturday that the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) club has contacted former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder Stuart Fairchild after the Taiwanese-American became a free agent.

"We're probably one of the teams," Yeh told reporters when asked whether the Dragons had reached out to Fairchild. "But it also depends on what he wants and on our roster situation."

Fairchild, 30, elected free agency Friday, after clearing waivers following his designation for assignment by the Cleveland Guardians, according to MLB.com.

The outfielder appeared in 27 major league plate appearances this season, posting a .565 OPS. At Triple-A, however, he batted .289 with a .417 on-base percentage and a .479 slugging percentage.

Yeh said signing Fairchild would depend partly on the future of Dragons pitcher John Gant, who has drawn interest from overseas clubs after a strong season.

"John is currently leaning toward staying with us, but nothing is 100 percent certain," Yeh said. "If he does leave, then we would have room."

The Dragons manager said he also sought evaluations of Fairchild from hitting coach Chang Chien-ming (張建銘) and catcher Giljegiljaw Kungkuan (吉力吉撈.鞏冠), who played alongside Fairchild on Team Taiwan at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March.

"Their assessments were objective and very positive," Yeh said. "His hitting ability is probably comparable to Yu Chang's (張育成), and his speed and defense are also very good."

Born to a Taiwanese mother and an American father, Fairchild represented Taiwan for the first time at the WBC in March, emerging as one of the team's top offensive performers.

He hit .250 with two home runs, six RBIs, four walks and three stolen bases in the tournament. His 1.188 OPS was one of only three on the team above 1.000 despite Taiwan's offensive struggles.

In April, the Dragons invited Fairchild's wife to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before a game and participate in a performance with the team's cheerleading squad.

Fairchild currently holds a Taiwan Employment Gold Card, which allows qualified foreign professionals to live and work in Taiwan without employer sponsorship.

However, under current CPBL regulations he would still have to be signed as a foreign player despite his Taiwanese heritage, Yeh said. If he hopes to play as a local player, his eligibility would depend on whether he qualifies for the league's draft under current rules.