Each of the six teams in Taiwan’s CPBL is allowed to roster up to five foreign players, though teams rarely have more than three active at any given time. Several circumstances — league rules require a team to release one player before signing another; moreover, any delays in the visa process can wreak havoc on both the team and player — can make replacing a foreign player mid-season challenging.

Unsurprisingly, most of the foreign players in the CPBL are pitchers.

Mario Sanchez, RHP

Sanchez is entering his fourth season in the CPBL, where he’s posted a 23-7 record, 2.13 ERA, and 0.995 WHIP over 245.1 IP. The 31-year-old spent 10 seasons in the minor leagues within the Nationals, Phillies, Nationals (again), and Twins systems, reaching as high as Triple-A. He then spent a year in the KBO before signing with the CPBL.

José De Paula, LHP

De Paula is entering his seventh season in the CPBL (all with CTBC), where he holds a 71-34 record with a 2.78 ERA and 1.121 WHIP over 867.0 IP. He spent eight seasons in the minor leagues with the Padres, Phillies, and Yankees. De Paula made just one lone MLB appearance in his career, in June 2015, during which he allowed a run on two hits and four walks over 3.1 IP of mop-up duty in a 12-4 Tigers win. He’ll be 38 in March.

Nivaldo Rodríguez, RHP

Rodríguez is heading into his third season in the CPBL, where he’s 21-11 with a 2.00 ERA over 310.1 IP. The 28-year-old spent parts of six seasons in the minors with the Astros and Tigers, making nine appearances between the 2020 and 2021 seasons with Houston (4.50 ERA over 16.0 IP with 11 SO and 10 BB).

Kyle Tyler, RHP

Tyler will be playing overseas for the first time after spending the 2025 season at Triple-A with the Phillies, White Sox, and Orioles. The 29-year-old has also spent time in the Angels, Padres, Giants, and Mariners’ minor league systems over his seven-year pro career. He made 15 appearances in the majors between the 2021, 2022, and 2024 seasons, working to a 4.31 ERA over 48.0 IP.

Erick Leal, RHP

Leal will be playing his first season in the CPBL after spending 2025 with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate (5.61 ERA in 126.2 IP). He began his pro career with six seasons in the D-backs and Cubs’ systems before spending four years pitching in Mexico. He turns 31 in March.

Aaron Wilkerson, RHP

Wilkerson has traveled extensively in his professional career. Now 36, Wilkerson began his career with a stint in the independent leagues before spending time with the Red Sox, Brewers, and Dodgers minor league systems. He made 14 appearances in the big leagues with Milwaukee from 2017-19, working to a 6.88 ERA in 35.1 IP. Wilkerson spent a year in Japan with the Hanshin Tigers, returned to the United States to pitch at Triple-A with the Athletics, and then headed overseas again to pitch in Korea for two seasons. He split the 2025 season at Triple-A with the Reds and Cardinals organizations. This will be his first season in Taiwan.

Shunsuke Suzuki, RHP

Suzuki is heading into his third season in the CPBL. He holds a 4.42 ERA and 1.591 WHIP in 77.1 IP. The 27-year-old pitched in the Japanese independent leagues before heading to Taiwan.

Shawn Morimando, LHP

Morimando is entering his seventh season in the CPBL, where he’s 18-17 with a 2.88 ERA and 1.261 WHIP over 253.0 IP. Now 33, the left-hander spent 10 years in the minor leagues with the Indians, Blue Jays, and Marlins systems. His MLB experience totals a pair of appearances with Cleveland in 2016 and four more with Miami in 2021, with a 10.20 ERA over 15.0 IP. He’d head overseas after the 2021 season, spending time in Taiwan, a season in Korea, and then returning to the CPBL.

Luis Liberato, OF

Liberato joins the CPBL for the first time, but this won’t be his first foray internationally after hitting .313/.366/.525 in 273 PA in the KBO last season. The 30-year-old spent 11 years in the minor leagues with the Mariners, Padres, and Braves' organizations. His lone MLB experience included seven games in 2022 with San Diego, during which he went hitless in five plate appearances.

Pedro Fernández, RHP

Fernández is entering his fourth season in the CPBL, where he is 29-11 with a 2.63 ERA and 1.082 WHIP over 373.1 IP. The 31-year-old spent eight seasons in the Royals’ minor league system, plus part of a season with Milwaukee’s Triple-A affiliate, before a brief stint in Mexico on the way to Taiwan.

Kyle Marman, RHP

Marman is heading into his first season in Taiwan. He’s spent the last two years pitching in the independent American Association after four years in Cleveland’s minor league system. The 28-year-old has worked exclusively in relief in his pro career.

Morgan McSweeney, RHP

McSweeney is also entering his first season in the CPBL. The 28-year-old spent parts of six seasons in the Orioles’ minor league system before finishing the 2025 season with a stint in the independent Atlantic League.

Bradin Hagens, RHP

Hagens is heading into his sixth season in the CPBL, where he holds a 37-12 record, 2.19 ERA, and 1.216 WHIP over 439.0 IP. The 36-year-old spent parts of nine seasons in the minor leagues with the Diamondbacks and Rays, making a pair of appearances in the majors with Arizona in 2014 (1 ER on 4 H and 3 BB in 2.2 IP), and spent two seasons in the NPB with the Hiroshima Carp before heading to Taiwan.

Steven Moya, OF/DH

Moya is starting his third season in the CPBL, where he’s slashed .299/.376/.577 in 875 PA with 43 2B and 55 HR. The 34-year-old 6’7” outfielder from Puerto Rico initially signed with the Tigers as an international amateur free agent. He’d spend nine years in Detroit’s minor league system, even drawing an invite to the 2014 All-Star Futures Game and landing on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospect list (No. 100) before the 2015 season. Moya appeared in 51 MLB games between 2014-16, hitting .250/.293/.452 in 133 PA with 5 HR and 50 SO. He departed for Japan after the 2017 season, spending four years in the NPB before coming to Taiwan.

Eric Stout, LHP

Stout is heading into his fourth year in the CPBL, where he’s 27-14 with a 2.64 ERA over 323.2 IP. Stout, who turns 33 in March, spent time in the minor leagues with the Royals and Reds’ minor league systems, making three brief appearances in the majors with Kansas City in 2018 (6 ER, 7 H, 2 BB in 2.1 IP). He’d spend three years in the independent leagues before returning to affiliated baseball, playing in the minors with five other organizations over the next three seasons. Stout made 20 more appearances in the majors in 2022 with the Cubs and Pirates (14 ER, 25 H, 16 BB in 22.1 IP).

Brock Dykxhoorn, RHP

Dykxhoorn is heading into his seventh season with the Lions. The 31-year-old is 50-30 with a 3.05 ERA and 1.130 WHIP over 718.0 IP in his CPBL career. Before that, he spent five years in Houston’s minor league system and a season in the KBO.

Jackson Stephens, RHP

Stephens returns to the Lions, where he was 2-1 with a 2.22 ERA in 24.1 IP (4 starts) after joining the team late last season. He spent a dozen years in the minor leagues with the Reds and Braves, while also making 83 appearances in the majors with the two clubs between 2017 and 2024. He posted a 4.15 ERA over 132.1 IP in those appearances, working almost exclusively out of the bullpen.

Jordan Balazovic, RHP

Balazovic will head into his first season overseas. The 27-year-old spent eight years in the Twins minor leagues and a year with the Tigers’ system. He made 18 appearances in Minnesota’s bullpen during the 2023 season, with a 4.44 ERA in 24.1 IP.

Bryan Woodall, RHP

Woodall, 39, will be entering his 12th season in the CPBL and sixth with the Dragons. He holds a 78-68 record and 3.57 ERA in 1208.2 IP during his career in Taiwan. Woodall started his career with seven seasons in the Diamondbacks’ minor leagues, briefly pitching at Triple-A.

Drew Gagnon, RHP

Gagnon is heading into his sixth season in Taiwan (and with the Dragons), where he’s 51-33 with a 3.00 ERA over 718.0 IP. The 35-year-old spent nine years in the minor leagues with the Brewers, Angels, and Mets. He made 23 appearances in the majors with New York in 2018-19, with a 7.32 ERA over 35.2 IP. He also had a one-year stint in the KBO before landing in Taiwan.

C.C. Mercedes, LHP

Mercedes — who went by the name Cristopher Crisostomo during his U.S. pro career — is entering his second season in Taiwan. He was 6-3 with a 2.57 ERA over 84.0 IP last season with the Lions. He spent four seasons in the Rays’ minor league system and then headed overseas to Asia, spending seven years in the NPB and part of a season in the KBO before arriving in the CPBL. He’ll be 32 in March.

John Gant, RHP

Gant will be playing his first season in the CPBL. Gant has a 3.89 ERA in 372.2 IP over parts of six seasons in the big leagues with the Braves, Cardinals, and Twins. The 33-year-old also spent part of the 2023 season in Japan, pitching in the NPB’s second division.

Marcelo Martinez, LHP

Martininez heads into his third season in the CPBL after spending the last two with Rakuten, where he was 26-11 with a 2.28 ERA over 307.2 IP. The 29-year-old spent nine years in the minor leagues before heading overseas, entirely in the Royals’ system.