Yankees sign Wang as shopping spree continues

The New York Yankees continued to firm up their starting rotation by signing pitcher Wang Chien-Ming to a one-year $5 million deal, the Major League Baseball team said on Monday.

After signing free agents C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett on huge contracts last week, the Yankees continued their spending spree by locking up Wang and avoiding salary arbitration.

The Taiwanese right-hander was 8-2 with a 4.07 ERA for the New Yorkers last season despite spending the last half of the schedule on the disabled list with an injured right foot.

Wang has won 38 games the past two seasons for the Yankees and finished second in American League Cy Young Award voting in 2006.

The 28-year-old’s 54 career wins rank third among Asian-born pitchers and helped him become the third-fastest Major League pitcher in the last 50 years to reach 50 wins.