Roenis Elias signed a one-year, 500,000 dollar deal with the Fubon Guardians of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), per the team’s media department. The left-hander pitched the last two seasons (2023, 2024) in the KBO with the SSG Landers. This acquisition gives the Taiwanese squad an experienced southpaw that has not only seen plenty of professional action, but has also pitched in the WBC with Cuba.
Over the last two campaigns in the Korean Baseball Organization the hurler posted a 15-13 record, 3.88 earned run average and fanned 197 batters in 255 innings pitched. The native of Guantanamo, Cuba also had a 1.29 WHIP during last season. Elías has also seen action in the majors with Seattle, Boston and Washington winning 22 games and saving 14 over seven seasons.
This winter Elías pitched with the Sultanes de Monterrey of the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico and was very impressive. In four outings the lefty compiled a 1-1 record accompanied by 2.45 ERA. The crafty Cuban also struck out 20 in 22 innings, but decided not to enter the reinforcement draft after the team was eliminated during the regular season.
Over his winter league career Elías has been a stalwart starter with the Monterrey, Águilas Cibaeñas and the Cardenales de Lara. Over six winter league seasons he is 10-8 with a 2.59 ERA, this includes his impressive 2022-23 with the Águilas in which he was 4-0 with an 0.92 earned run average. That season he failed to qualify for the league’s Pitcher of the Year by one inning pitched.
Cuban signings in Asia this offseason:
NPB:
Ariel Martínez IF (Nippon Ham)- 4 years, 8M
Raidel Martínez RHP (Chunichi)- 5 years, 32.5M
Randy Martínez LHP (Chunichi) – minor league deal
Carlos Moiner OF (Chunichi)- minor league deal
Cristián Rodríguez IF (Chunichi)- minor league deal
Andy Martín OF (Chiba Lotte)- minor league deal
Darío Sarduy LHP (SoftBank)- minor league deal
KBO:
Yasiel Puig OF (Kiwoom)- 1 year, 1.1M
Rubén Cárdenas OF (Kiwoom)- 1 year, 600K*
Guillermo Heredia OF (SSG) 1 year, 1.6M
CPBL:
Roenis Elías LHP (TSG)- 1 year, 500K
*Cuban-American