Red Sox Slugger Hits Clutch Home Run In World Baseball Classic Win
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The Boston Red Sox made somewhat of a surprising move when they re-signed a depth shortstop from last year's roster instead of making a bigger splash in free agency.
With Elvis Andrus, Josh Harrison and José Iglesias all available, the Red Sox turned to Yu Chang to fill out one of their last spots on the 40-man roster.
The 27-year-old is now a key member of the Chinese Taipei roster in the World Baseball Classic and is making his presence known.
Chang bombed a game-tying two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning to ignite the Chinese Taipei's eventual 11-7 win over Italy.
The Red Sox utility man finished the game going 2-for-4 with a double, the aforementioned home run and a walk. He logged two RBIs for his big blast and scored three times.
Chang's impressive performance is far from indicative of his potential in Boston but it's certainly a positive.
The one advantage Chang has over the other depth middle infielders that were available when he signed is youth.
If Chang does become a diamond in the rough, he could impact the team in a similar fashion to Christian Arroyo -- another waiver-wire add who was designated for assignment before being brought back to make an impact. Arroyo's now considered the Red Sox's starting second baseman after years of contributions off the bench.
For now, fans can be encouraged by Chang's early display of power in the WBC.
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