January 10, 2007
A Yen for Sosa
It seems Sammy Sosa may go the Spinal Tap route and end up playing in Japan. It's not quite going after North American star free agents, but if Sosa were to be wildly successful, might that cause Japanese teams to consider other American players? If so, it might be a way for American teams to dump aging stars without having to go through the posting system. Why not direct trades? Would a Japanese team be willing to part with a young prospect for a year of Luis Gonzalez? When Jason Giambi gets too old for his contract, he might be a big hit in Korea. The Asian teams get the draw of a North American star, and the MLB teams have a new source of talent.
Very interesting point, David.
Do you think this would be legal in the current CBA? I can't imagine major league players being excited about being traded to a Japanese team against their will.
I wonder if there's a provision against such a deal currently.
I would hope that this would be a new line in their contract and it could not be forced on any player who has a current contract as that was never even a possiblity at the time of signing.
Sounds wonderful, except most MLB players don't want to play in Asia. The leagues are inferior.