Chien-Ming Wang Nearly Ready To Pitch For Nationals

With all the Stephen Strasburg mania, and the lesser, much more composed Drew Storen mania, it would be easy to forget that the Nationals have other pitchers. Other talented pitchers, no less. One of them is Chien-Ming Wang, and though the former Yankee was signed with the knowledge that he’d miss a good chunk of the season recovering from shoulder surgery, he is nearing his return from the DL:

At six out of first, the Nationals are a long shot, but they are beginning to load up their bullets. And even if a pennant race isn’t in the cards in 2010, the picture for 2011 is looking rosy, should Wang, Jordan Zimmerman, and Ross Detwiler be able to come back with success.

Details of Chien-Ming Wang’s contract with the Nationals have been released, and according to the AP, he will make a $2m base salary in 2010, with up to $3m in performance bonuses. Many of the bonuses are likely based on games started and innings pitched, meaning that a healthy Wang would earn more than his base.

Because Wang has fewer than five years of Major League service time, the Nationals control his rights through the 2011 season. Even though they only signed Wang to a one-year contract, he will be eligible for arbitration after the season, unless he is non-tendered or signed to an extension.

Wang, the former Yankee workhorse who is coming off shoulder surgery and a lost season, appears to be close to deciding where he will sign. And while there are some conflicting reports floating around, Jon Heyman says the following:

If Wang never recovers, he’ll be a lost cause, but at a small commitment, he’s a low-risk acquisition with a fair amount of upside. You can follow the story at Nationals blog Federal Baseball.