Astros sign Taiwanese RHP Lo

Nov 7, 2008 - 11:30 PM HOUSTON (Ticker) -- The Houston Astros added an arm Friday, signing righthander Chia-Jen Lo to a minor league contract.

The 22-year-old Lo is the first player from Taiwan ever to join the Astros organization. A member of the Chinese Taipei 2008 Olympic team, he yielded one run in two innings during the Beijing Games.

"(Director of Pacific Rim scouting Glen Barker) had seen Lo a number of times in Taiwan, and he and East Coast scouting supervisor Clarence Johns both saw him pitch in the 2008 Olympics," Houston general manager Ed Wade said. "Their reports indicated that if he had been eligible for the Rule 4 draft in the United States, Lo would have gone in the top 3-5 rounds. We are extremely excited to add another quality arm to our development mix and to be on the board as a team that's serious about its Pacific Rim presence."

Lo has participated in a number of international events, including the 2006 and 2008 World University Championships and the 2004 World Junior Championship. He is expected to join the Astros for spring training next year.