Role
Tsung-Che Cheng was designated for assignment four times in six weeks last winter, by Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, the Mets and Washington, before Boston claimed him on Feb. 6. He spent most of the year at Worcester and started 13 games at shortstop for Boston while Trevor Story was hurt. In 2027 he is shortstop depth in Triple-A again.
Outlook
He hit .256/.318/.282 in 44 big-league plate appearances, with one extra-base hit. At Worcester he hit .241/.345/.390 with 8 homers in 94 games, so he walks enough to stay on base. Savant had him at +1 out above average in his short look, without an error, and his sprint speed was in the 90th percentile. His max exit velocity was in the 9th. He bats left-handed and turns 26 in July.
Our take: a fast, sure-handed shortstop with a light bat is a common profile, and four teams already passed on him this year. He stays because he can handle shortstop, and that is how he spends next year: up when someone gets hurt, then back to Worcester.