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« A-Rod Has Torn Labrum In Hip | Main | Manny Meets With Media »
WBC May Be Showcase For Future Major Leaguers
Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune notes that the '06 World Baseball Classic was the coming out party for Kosuke Fukudome and Alexei Ramirez, and gives us a list of players that could be playing for big league contracts in this year's WBC.
Rogers lists Yu Darvish (Japan), Hyun-jin Ryu and Suk Min Yoon (Korea) along with Albertin Chapman, Yuniesky Maya and Yuliesky Gourriel (Cuba) as the players that could be playing for future millions.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.
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oh cuban players...so oppressed...
Posted by: Dashboard | March 05, 2009 at 07:47 PM
Kosuke Fukudome might have gotten millions but he's not getting any playing time now.
Posted by: jlowrance | March 05, 2009 at 07:50 PM
Hasn't Darvish already said he does not want to play in America? He wants to get to 200 wins or something like that in Japan.
Posted by: celtics464 | March 05, 2009 at 07:54 PM
Shuichi Murata looked spectacular last night/this morning(yes, I did stay up to watch Yu Darvish). Third baseman reminds me of Manny when he was that age(28).
I kind of wish elite Japanese players would stay in Japan more often. I get that they like to prove themselves in the Big Leagues, and make more money, but I'd say they've proven quite a bit with the WBC. The game is so respected there, and so refined, it's like an artform, and I think the fans there should reap the benefits.
Maybe I just like the national pride aspect too much. 162-game WBC? Hah! but it would be interesting... Maybe if the US was divided into regions.
Posted by: mateodh | March 05, 2009 at 08:01 PM
Phil Rogers is a jock sniffing moron.
Posted by: MPM | March 05, 2009 at 08:51 PM
The China team players all looked like little leaguers, they were tiny and was surprised at how well they stood up to team Japan.
Darvish was nasty, but that submariner Sun for China was downright nasty.
Posted by: johns | March 05, 2009 at 09:08 PM
I want to see Darvish pitch against some better competition. He did look absurd though.
As for Murata, those 46 HRs he had last year probably could translate into some decent MLB numbers. I wonder if there is any interest in him.
Posted by: mford | March 05, 2009 at 10:02 PM
darvish might not want to come to america now but once the yankees or sox make a run at him and the millions are on the table with all the fame hell be here in a year or so i bet. i could see the yanks bidding 70 mil for him then trading wang thoughts?
Posted by: Aj | March 05, 2009 at 11:01 PM
Celtics, you're right, I read that too about Darvish. He's very young and is years away from being posted or becoming a free agent, so I suppose it's conceivable that he may change his mind. But I agree that Rogers is a moron.
Posted by: rememberthecoop | March 05, 2009 at 11:09 PM
"darvish might not want to come to america now but once the yankees or sox make a run at him and the millions are on the table with all the fame hell be here in a year or so i bet. i could see the yanks bidding 70 mil for him then trading wang thoughts?"
Yeah I'm not sure about this. I think a lot of teams would be very interested in this guy if given the chance. I don't think it's really all that crazy that he doesn't want to come play here. He's making good money there now. He's the biggest thing since sliced bread (the advent of white rice?) over there and though he'd get plenty of media attention here he wouldn't be as much of a celebrity. I don't know, eventually he'll probably come here but I understand why he's not rushing.
Posted by: mford | March 05, 2009 at 11:23 PM
Yeah remember that it's up to the Japanese team and player to decide when to post the player or go to free agency and seek a position in the US. US teams don't just get to go over to Japan and buy all their players. It doesn't work that way, nor should it.
If he follows Matsuzaka's path, then he'll probably be posted around 2015 or so. By then, who knows how much better/worse he'll be, and if he'll turn into a good MLB pitcher. There's also the possibility that he simply chooses to stay in Japan, in which case the WBC is the only real chance Americans will have to see him.
-JM
Posted by: jagteq | March 06, 2009 at 02:28 AM
jlowrance...Fukudome IS getting millions
he's a 4 years/$48M bench-warmer
Posted by: Ben | March 06, 2009 at 06:25 AM
4 years/$48M
$4M signing bonus
and up to $3.9M in incentives
Posted by: Ben | March 06, 2009 at 06:31 AM
Fukudome is a bust.
Posted by: southsideirish | March 06, 2009 at 07:31 AM
things may have changed, but Gourriel, who would be an all-star at 2b, had no interest in leaving Cuba in '06. There was an attempt, albeit minor, made to get him to jump.
Posted by: aj7380 | March 06, 2009 at 08:56 AM
No way you can call Fukudome a bust yet.
The guy played great for the first two months of 2008, so obviously he's capable of playing well at this level.
A big issue with his hitting was that he was hitting too many balls on the ground, and his approach started to fall apart towards the end of last season.
Even with his struggles, his defense was still quite good in right field.
Fukudome still has 3/38 left on his deal, which is pretty bad, but his OBP was still decent last year, as was his defense. If he shows some improvement this season at the plate, and proves he can play solid defense in center field, then I'm not so sure he's a bust.
He's definitely overpaid, but you can't place the bust label on him quite yet. Give it one more year.
Posted by: scribbletone | March 06, 2009 at 11:28 AM
Fukudome and Soriano's contracts are albatrosses around the cubs necks.
Posted by: southsideirish | March 06, 2009 at 02:17 PM