Rakuten Monkeys Register Dawson for July 8 Debut, Dual Foreign Sluggers a Possibility

Taipei, Taiwan (CNA) July 7 -- The CTBC Brothers have signed two foreign sluggers, Ronnie Dawson and Adam Walker. Head coach Tseng Hao-chu stated that Dawson is expected to debut in the first team tomorrow and is a middle-to-long-range hitter. They have opted to deregister Motoki Sakakibara, but Tseng Hao-chu also mentioned that fielding two foreign sluggers in the first team is a potential direction.

The Monkeys announced yesterday the signing of two foreign fielders, Ronnie Dawson and Adam Walker. Both have experience in MLB and Asian professional baseball. Dawson has already arrived in Taiwan, was registered today, and could debut in the first team as early as tomorrow.

The "Violent Monkeys" lineup of the past gave opponents a headache, but now they are choosing to field two foreign sluggers. Head coach Tseng Hao-chu said that issues such as the main core lineup's poor performance and injuries have caused a significant drop in combat power, testing the depth of the bench. With the main core hitters returning in the second half of the season, it remains to be seen how to arrange them for the best results.

Dawson could debut in the first team as early as tomorrow. His primary defensive position is outfield, and he can also play first base, but Tseng Hao-chu said they need to observe his overall defensive ability before making an assessment. Offensively, he is considered a middle-to-long-range power hitter.

As for Walker, he is expected to report this week. Tseng Hao-chu said that Walker appears to be a pure long-ball hitter and has been maintaining his playing form in Japan. He believes there will be no major issues with the transition to game action.

It has been 11 years since the CPBL has seen two foreign sluggers start on the same team in the same game. Tseng Hao-chu said this will be a direction they explore. The decision to sign two foreign sluggers is to enhance the team's competitiveness. They will only know the results by implementing it. (Edited by Lee Hsi-chang) 0707

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