MLB 2011!!

[Imran Siddiqui]

He likely is. You should be happy with him.

[rah]

He sounds good, but for almost 17 mil a year.............

[Imran Siddiqui]

These days that's not all that much for an ace pitcher.

[ColdWizard]

If he is an ace pitcher...

[rah]

Granted, but name one other pitcher costing a team that much that has never pitched a single pitch in the major leagues.

And a quick check shows that only 5 pitchers were paid more than 17 mil last year. (and one of them was Carlos Zambrano)

[Imran Siddiqui]

If he is an ace pitcher...

He is expected to be. As Fangraphs puts it:

If Darvish lives up to his expectations and his projections — like ZiPS, which forecasts five seasons of sub-3.75 ERAs, 150+ strikeouts, and 4+ WAR — the investment would be a quality one for Texas. Even his middle-ground projections place him in the vicinity of excellent young pitchers like Jordan Zimmermann and Yovani Gallardo — if not a True Ace, very close to that level.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/yu-darvish-set-to-become-a-ranger/

[ColdWizard]

If expectations had anything to do with reality, Cubs fans wouldn't be continuously depressed every mid-April.

[OzzyKP]

Granted, but name one other pitcher costing a team that much that has never pitched a single pitch in the major leagues.

And a quick check shows that only 5 pitchers were paid more than 17 mil last year. (and one of them was Carlos Zambrano)

Hahah, Zambrano had one of the 5 biggest salaries for pitchers? You poor, poor Cubs fans.

[rah]

YEP, and we'll be paying 15 mil of that for him to pitch somewhere else. I have no doubt that the marlins will get 2 million worth of value out of him.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Always be wary of your Latino players

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7480419/fausto-carmona-cleveland-indians-arrested-accused-using-false-identity

Authorities in the Dominican Republic have arrested Cleveland Indians right-hander Fausto Carmona and accused him of using a false identity to try to obtain a U.S. visa, a police spokesman said.

Colonel Maximo Aybar Baez, a spokesman for the Dominican police, said on his Twitter account that Carmona, whose actual name is Roberto Hernandez Heredia, was arrested after leaving the U.S. Consulate in the Dominican Republic on Thursday.

"This arrest is part of the measures taken by the National Police (NP), in coordination with the American Consulate. The NP invited Dominican prospects not to be misled by those who sell fake illusions based on illegality," Baez said on Twitter.

The pitcher was trying to renew his visa so he could attend spring training in February.

Apparently, as well, Heredia is 31 years old, while Carmona was stated to be 28.

[Imran Siddiqui]

There has been some chatter than Ryan Braun looks like he'll win his appeal on the false positive.

[Imran Siddiqui]

OH MY. There are rumors that the Tigers are about to sign Prince Fielder to a 9 Year deal worth $214 million.

Ok, so Victor Martinez is out THIS year. What happens, NEXT year? When you have Fielder, Cabrera, and Martinez?

[rah]

More sources are starting to confirm it as a done deal pending a physical

[OzzyKP]

HOLY ****!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!



Cecil Fielder was my favorite player as a kid, and now Prince is coming back to Detroit!!!! Wow!!!

[OzzyKP]

I never saw this coming at all, wow.

I imagine they'll put Fielder at 1st and move Cabrera over to 3rd once Martinez comes back.

Wow.