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By Jon Paul Hoornstra
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Washington Nationals claimed shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng off waivers from the New York Mets, continuing their offseason youth movement by adding a 24-year-old rookie to their infield mix.
In a corresponding move, the Nats designated left-handed pitcher Konnor Pilkington was for assignment.
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Cheng never played a game for the Mets, who claimed him off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays on Jan. 16. Cheng never played for the Rays either; he was designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates in December after appearing in three games for them last season.
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Cheng went 0-for-7 with three strikeouts after making his major league debut in April, and spent the rest of the year with the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate.
“I’ve played baseball for so long, and I hope I can play for much longer," Cheng told reporters in Pittsburgh last year said through an interpreter after his debut game.
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In 107 games with the Indianapolis Indians, Cheng slashed .209/.307/.271 and was 18-for-25 in stolen base attempts. He committed only six errors in 70 appearances at shortstop with the Pirates' top farm team.
The Nationals are in the throes of a rebuild under new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni. Last week they traded ace pitcher Mackenzie Gore to the Texas Rangers for a package of five prospects: shortstop Gavin Fien (now Washington's No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline), pitcher Alejandro Rosario (No. 11), infielder Devin Fitz-Gerald (No. 12), outfielder Yeremy Cabrera (No. 17) and first baseman/outfielder Abimelec Ortiz (No. 24).
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Cheng, who can also play third base, won't block Fien from reaching the majors. But he'll give the Nats a reliable glove after a season in which their starting shortstop, CJ Abrams, finished second in MLB with 22 errors last season.
Pilkington, 28, is 3-2 with a 3.97 ERA in 48 career MLB games. Last season he was 2-0 with a 4.45 ERA in 32 games out of the Nationals' bullpen, striking out 34 batters in 28.1 innings.
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