Wheelin' N' Dealin'

     Hi guys! You've probably have noticed that I haven't posted in a while, and that is because I have decided to wait out most of the MLB free agency before I posted...Well, all of the baseball world knows that future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols signed with the Angels, and apparently Pujol's wife was disappointed with the Cardinal's offer, which was believed to be only for 5 years. I haven't heard much about any riots or LeBron-esque jersey burning yet, so it seems St. Louis is handling it better than Cleveland handled its departing superstar.

     Another potential superstar is about to sign a deal as well. Yu Darvish, a half Japanese half Persian pitcher for the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan. The 6'5 pitcher has dominated his oppenents, and posted a sub-2.00 earned run average this year. However, before a team can even negotiate with Darvish's agents, teams must bid on the right to talk to Darvish, and his team, the Ham Fighters, must accept. It is believed the winning bid will be over $51,000,000, with the potential to be much higher. With a large contract, the total price of importing a talent of this magnitude will be over $100,000,000. Some teams however, are wary of Asian professional players because they have a high rate of failure. Many players, mostly pitchers, have been 'imported' and the only superstar out of that group has been Ichiro Suzuki, a slick fielder and talented hitter. The most recent big-name player was Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Boston Red Sox, and after one season, albeit a brilliant one, he has sunken into mediocrity.
     The last move that could have far-reaching ramifications is the Reds' trade for right hander Mat Latos. Latos is 24 years old, throws a 97 MPH fastball and a few good breaking balls. However, critics have said that he was a creation of Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres. These so called 'experts' are incorrect, for Latos' home ERA is 3.20 vs 2.96 at other parks. Cincinnati's GM Walt Jocketty bet the farm on this trade because he know that Latos has the potential to become a Cy Young winner, and thus he gave away two very valuable prospects. We'll find out soon enough if any of these deals pans out.

Images from: ht: tp://www.mlb4all.com/national-league/nls-best-3-man-rotations.htmlhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Yu-Darvish/55933782070   ht