Taiwanese teen pitcher Chen Po-yu signed a free agent deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, the Major League Baseball club announced. The 19-year-old right-hander was given a $1.25 million signing bonus, according to a posting on the MLB website, and was scouted by the Pirates for three years before being inked to a deal. Chen pitched for Taiwan's under-18 world champion squad, starting twice in the world tournament and earning a two-inning save in the championship game against the United States. Chen, whose father Ping-nan played pro baseball in Taiwan as well, was seen as a player with the impact of a second-round MLB Draft pick. "Po-Yu Chen is an exciting young pitching prospect who has been a prominent part of the Taiwanese national program and in international competition," Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said in a statement. "He has good size, moves well on the mound, and has a quality pitch mix with the ability to keep getting better." js/rcw