Soapy’s Game Reviews: Heavy Rain (PS3)

Once in a while, game developers stop trying to think about how to make lots of money and decide to actually try something… different for a change. This year one game company known as Quantic Dreams decided to do just that in their newest title, Heavy Rain. This PS3 exclusive was hyped to be something we haven’t seen in a long time, an adventure game with a very heavy (no pun intended) emphases on story and characters as opposed to action and hacking away at hords of enemies. The story seemed emotionally charged, meaningful and well thought out, but is this the case? Is Heavy Rain the type of game that will leave you thinking? Lets dive in and find out!

Story:
This is definitely the main focus of this game. The game wants to draw you in and get you involved, and it seems to do a really good job of it. It starts out a little slow but if you give the game some time, it will definitely sink its hooks into you and you will not be able to break free until the end of the game. The story revolves around a serial killer named the Origami Killer, who kills young boys and leaves their bodies for the cops to find, with an orchid and an origami figure in their hands. The mystery of who this mysterious killer is is what drives the story further, but that is not all. There are 4 main characters you play the game as. Ethan Mars, the main protagonist of the game, is dealing with the loss of his first son Jason after a tragic accident. His life since then has fallen apart and things are only going to get worse as his son, Shaun, is kidnapped by the origami killer. Ethan’s story revolves around him trying to get his son back and are easily some of the most emotionally charged and interesting in the game. Some of the things he must go through are very torturous for him, and really show just how much he cares for his son. He has some other mysteries about him too but I will not spoil those for you.

The next character is Jayden, an FBI agent on the trail of the origami killer. His sections are very much about investigation though there are some twists as well. He uses a system called ARI which lets him find clues easier and get instant information about them, such as who’s blood it is and that sort of thing. Jayden was a very interesting character and it is fun to play as him trying to figure out the clues on the crime scenes, as well as tracking down suspects. Next is Madison, and while I don’t want to get too much into who she is, she has some of the most intense sections of the game that you will experience. Lastly is Scott Shelby, the PI who’s been hired by the families of the victims of the Origami Killer, you go around as him finding clues left behind by the killer. Once again, I can’t say too much without spoiling the story, but this games story and characters all feel very real and will have you hooked up until the thrilling climax (which changes depending on your choices, more on that later) The story is outstanding and apart from a few very minor details (like why is the medicine at the back of the convenience store and not near the front) the story is tight knit and very enjoyable. 10/10

Gameplay:
The gameplay is really quite literally a series of quick time events. You press buttons and move the analog sticks in directions to make the characters interact with things. This does make the game at times feel like more of an interactive movie but at other times, namely during fight scenes, you get a very strange sense of urgency that a lot of even the most action oriented of games fail to meet. It is a hard feeling to describe but the fact that you know a character can die, and the story will still go on without them, makes the scenes all the more intense. There are lots of different choices you can make in the game, and they all have effects on how the story plays out. Characters can die, even main ones, and things can unravel very differently depending on how you go about everything. I personally remember talking to a friend about how my story turned out and he said it felt like a weird alternate reality version of how his turned out. There are a ton of different endings and different ways the scenes can turn out, so the replay value if you are into the story is very high. On top of that they have new downloadable content on the way, one of which is available now to those who preordered, and it is just as fun as the rest of the game. I think my only gripe with the gameplay is walking which uses some very weird tank like controls. You press R2 to walk forward and left and right to turn, unlike most games that just have you press left on the stick to go left. But it hardly detracts from the experience so it’s just a minor complaint. The gameplay gets 9/10

Presentation:
This game is absolutely gorgeous, there is no way anyone can deny that. The character models are stunning, the landscapes look very real and everything fits together so well. The amount of motion capture that has gone into this game is staggering. Faces move like faces should, bodies movie like bodies should, and everything feels very real. There were even times that I’d forgotten it was computer generated at all because of how real they looked at times. The music is also very well done and fits the moods of the chapters very well. Ethan Mars’s theme in peticular is especially moving and really captures the feel of the game perfectly. On top of all that the voice acting is outstanding, probably some of the best in a game to date. All the actors take the game very seriously and it shows. As far as presentation goes this game is pretty flawless. The presentation gets a 10/10

Overall:
This is a game you just have to experience to understand. It is about 10 hours (I know because I actually devoted a whole day to playing it my first run through and I couldn’t put it down) and has a lot of replay value if you want to see how much you can change things. This game is a must have for those who love a murder mystery or love stories with heavy character involvement. You really do start caring for these characters and that is a lot more then you can say about most game characters these days. Final Verdict: 9.5/10

Spring Baseball; Injuries Factoring Early

Baseball’s Spring Training has just begun, with many clubs having played 3 or 4 games already.  With the season starting in just under 30 days, clubs are already preparing to work around injuries.  This early, there is not extensive concern, but a nagging injury early can become a season long problem for several super-stars.  Here is a brief rundown of several high profile players already finding time on the shelf due to injuries.

Josh Hamilton, image from MLB.com

Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers, that hit 32 home runs, 130 RBIs, and had 98 runs in 2008, has yet to appear in a Cactus League game this spring due to a shoulder injury during the first full-squad workout.  Hamilton was chasing down a fly ball in an outfield drill when he tumbled, injuring his shoulder.  He has yet to appear in any workouts or games, saying the shoulder is still tight, but is expected to begin soon.  The Rangers say they are not concerned with the severity of this injury.  There could be some real concern with Hamilton’s health especially since he only appeared in 89 or 161 games last season, having gone on the disabled list three different times.  April 27 to May 11 because of a bruised ribcage, June 1 to July 6 with a torn abdominal muscle, and most of September with a pinched nerve in his lower back.  Following his career numbers of ‘08, he only had 10 home runs, 54 RBIs, and 43 runs.

Russell Martin, catcher of the LA Dodgers, was taken in for an MRI of his hip or groin area.  He has played in only one spring training game, having caught 5 innings of that game.  He is a two-time All-Star, and won a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove award in 2007.  Hopefully this is just a minor set-back and will not keep him out long.  One trademark of Martin’s career has been his durability.  He caught more innings than any other catcher last year, and has played in an average 150 games over the past three years. 

Webb Bullpen Session. image from MLB.com

Brandon Webb, ace pitcher of the Arizona Diamondbacks, may miss the start of the regular season.  Webb, a former Cy Young award winner (2006) and three time All-Star (2006 – 2008) is recovering from shoulder surgery last August.  He was a 22 game winner in 2008 with high expectations in 2009, yet only lasted 4 innings in one outing having given up 6 runs in that game.  He has thrown eight bullpen sessions over the last month and a half trying to rebuild his strength.  Pain in the shoulder does not appear to be the issue for Webb right now, but it seems to be more of a matter of letting the ball go without worrying about the shoulder, reports MLB.com.  The club and Webb have not announced when he will begin pitching in a game spring training or regular season, but they are hoping that having him face hitters in a batting-practice situation next time he throws, it will amp up his intensity and allow him to cut loose.  They are hoping to do this by next week.  We will see soon if or when he will start the regular season.   

There are a number of other players being held back because of soreness, like the closers of both the Twins and Mariners.  It is still early in Spring Training, so there is more time to heal, but also more oppertunity for injuries, keeping all of the clubs crossing their fingers as the new season looms closer.

Are Brit ‘Lad’ mags porn?

That’s the question facing retailer according to a new U.K. gov’t report which is recommending just that. The concern is access by children to such magazines, which feature a bevy of topless or semi-nude models. Currently they are stocked on lower shelves rather than the higher ones where more traditional porn mags are kept.

Business Week covered the story earlier today:

“Lads’ mags” in Britain such as Nuts and Zoo should be placed on the top shelf in shops alongside pornography to prevent children being sexualized at a young age, a government report said.

IPC Media Ltd.’s Nuts magazine and Bauer Consumer Media Holdings Ltd.’s Zoo, which both feature picture of topless women alongside articles on soccer aimed at young men, should also not be sold to anyone under the age of 15, the report by psychologist Linda Papadopoulos recommended.

“At the moment you get them next to SpongeBob SquarePants,” Papadopoulos said in a telephone interview in London today, referring to the magazine of the children’s cartoon character made by Viacom Inc.’s Nickelodeon. “If they were on the top shelf, marked for age 15, there would be no pretense about what they are. They’ve got nipple counts, for goodness sake!”

In the 36 recommendations made in her Home Office- commissioned report, Papadopoulos said games consoles, computers and mobile phones should come with parental controls that can restrict access to adult and online content.

She also urged the government to forbid advertisements for work in the adult entertainment industry, such as lap dancing, being placed in branches of the state-run Jobcentre Plus, saying in her report that they can lead to a “normalization” of the job as a “viable career choice.”

Bratz dolls merchandized by MGA Entertainment Inc., some of which wear fishnet tights, are an example of presenting sexualized images to little girls, she said. “Bratz is a really good example of where people turn a blind eye,” she said.

A spokesman for Home Secretary Alan Johnson said he will respond to her report tomorrow, when it is officially published.

While I understand her concern, the better avenue for this struggle to take place would be within the culture itself. Moving the placement of the magazines misses the larger point (which she did mention) of the sexualization of the culture, particularly that of young girls. Peer pressure public campaigns have worked before and could here as well. And I would not be surprised if she didn’t find a great deal of support from the magazine’s publishers, if not from the adult industry as well.

cross-posted at Wet Girlz Blog

Things I Shouldn’t Have to Explain to People Who Should Know Better

It’s not often that I’ll praise Seth MacFarlane, the creator/writer/star of Family Guy.  Seth’s a hack who goes to the same setup and delivery again and again and again.  Seth buys into his own hype.  Seth will always pass on a popular, well-liked celebrity or public figure and attack the easy target while proclaiming himself edgy.  Enter Sarah Palin and the first thing I need to explain.  Sunday’s episode was not about Trig, her baby with downs syndrome.  Sarah Palin wasn’t even mentioned by name.  A boy is on a date with a girl who has downs syndrome and he asks about her parents. She replies her mother is the former governor of Alaska.  And that’s it.  There’s no sarcasm, satire, or social commentary of any kind.  There’s no punchline because Sarah Palin’s inevitable outrage is the punchline.  So without further adieu, Congratulations Seth MacFarlane.

Without actually watching the episode, Sarah Palin lashed out on her facebook page and took to The O’Reilly Factor to exclaim her shock and disappointment at what she thought was a cheap attack on her youngest son.  She called it a ‘kick to the gut.’  Then Seth MacFarlane sent out the actress who voiced the character with downs syndrome who-Surprise!-has downs syndrome herself to rebut Mrs. Palin’s comments.  Hello, ‘Absolute Moral Authority’ card.  The real joke in all of this is that Seth MacFarlane tricked Sarah Palin into being reprimanded by someone with downs syndrome for being oversensitive about living with downs syndrome.

The entire episode was roughly twenty-two minutes, only four of which were spent on this.  Of the four minutes involving the character in question, only about six seconds were spent laying the trap for the former governor and vice-presidential candidate.  It only took six seconds of dialogue to trick a former vice-presidential candidate into embarrassing herself nationally.  The lesson here is obvious: cooler heads prevail.  Before you react to anything, stop and get all the facts or as much information as possible.  Never take anything for granted; Sarah thought she was untouchable on this issue, and of course, she was mistaken.

In Las Vegas today, President Obama is reminding us of the old expression ‘Beware of Greeks Bearing  Gifts.’   Just as the Greek army hid inside the Trojan horse, our president is hiding something in his  overwhelming contribution to the struggling housing market in the region. One and a half billion dollars’ worth of taxpayer funds ain’t free.  Think of it as a down payment on Harry Reid’s reelection bid in November.  There are no coincidences in life, and even if there were, this wouldn’t be one.  The most recent polling from Rasmussen has the Senate’s majority leader trailing any one of four Republican opponents.  I’d like to believe the people of Nevada are smart enough to see why a man who has publicly trashed their biggest city now suddenly showers Vegas with cash, but at least the mayor sort of gets it.  This is not to say the housing market out there isn’t in shambles; I’ve personally seen entire neighborhoods abandoned on the way to Lake Mead.  But that issue could be readily solved through bank foreclosure auctions and not at the federal taxpayers’ expense.

As long as we’re talking about the president, he’s got a new health care plan in the works.  No one’s sure what’s in it, but reports say it will be ready ahead of his televised summit with Republican leaders.  The public option may yet live. If that’s the case, don’t expect an appearance from the right side of the aisle. But once again, the health care bills being talked about have a zero percent chance of passing.  Evan Bayh may be a quitter, but there are a number of congressmen and women who would like to keep their jobs. There’s also a lesson in calling a public meeting to discuss an issue and then showing up with your own secret solution.  In all fairness to the president, Republicans only agreed to this televised farce in the hopes they can trip him up and claim victory.  After all, three Republicans have been elected to high profile offices this summer, but none were reelected.  And that’s really the test, isn’t it?

And, finally, for anyone who actually believes waterboarding is torture, the current Department of Justice disagrees.  In case you haven’t seen it, even Jon Stewart thinks John Yoo, the guy who wrote the so-called ‘torture memos’ is “delightful.” I don’t have much to say about this because there was no way the DoJ could ever realistically try the CIA for torture.  All that would do is embolden our enemies by giving them free propaganda.  President Obama said as much on the campaign.  This is the same reasoning that led to this administration reconsidering the venue for Khalid Sheik Mohammed’s trial, er likely military tribunal. Also, it’s worth pointing out that all those captured top level Taliban thugs are being held by Pakistan.  I somehow doubt the Pakistanis are concerned with the welfare of such individuals.  That is actually a pretty good lesson in not getting your hands dirty.  President Obama gets to hold our country to a higher standard while allowing Pakistan to obtain vital intelligence however they see fit.

Baseball Update

Baseball is back!
This week marks the official start of the baseball season.  The pitchers and catchers for each ball club report for spring work outs this week.  To the die-hard baseball fan, like myself, this is almost as big as Christmas.  On Wednesday, the Yankees, Orioles, Royals, Pirates, Cardinals, Angels, and Giants open camp, followed by the Red Sox, Phillies, Mets, Nationals, Tigers, Cubs, Mets, Mariners, Reds, Rangers, Rockies, and Padres on Thursday.  The remaining clubs follow in the coming days, withthe Indians being the final club to open camp on Feb. 23.  Full squad workouts will generally follow in the next week, bringing in all of the position players.  This is also the first sign that the regular season is just over a month away, opening with one of the biggest rivalries in modern sports, Yankees vs Red Sox on the night of April 4th. 

 So with the workouts starting soon, clubs have been putting the final touches on their rosters, with one of the most notable contract signings occuring this week when the Giants resigned pitching ace, two time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum to a two year, $23 million deal.  This signing buys the Giants two more years of time to sign Lincecum to a long term deal.   

image from MLB.com

Z

Baseball News

Hello once again.  A lot has happened in baseball over this past week, if you were not aware.  More than just player acquisitions this time, from a Cy-Young award winning pitcher retiring to a new Hall-of-Famer being named.  First off, a huge name was removed from the free-agent pool with Matt Holliday resigning with the St. Louis Cardinals.  He agreed to the largest contract the Cardinals have ever dished out, 7 years at $120 million.  But remember, the Cardinals have one of best hitters in all of baseball in the form of Albert Pujols.  Pujols’ contract was also of the 7 year variety but only $100 million.  Holliday’sannual salary marks both the longest and highest annual pay of any free agent signing so far this off-season at $17.1 million per year.  Bay and Lackey come in second at a cool $16.5 million per year.  Over the last two seasons Holliday has hit 24 and 25 home runs, 109 and 88 RBIs and had batting averages of .313 and .321.  Not bad, but does that deserve more money than someone on the same team that has hit more than 32 home runs each of the 9 seasons that he has played, collecting 135 RBIs while being intentionally walked 44 times last season, and having a career average of .334?

I mentioned that a former Ace has announced his retirement.  Randy Johnson, most recently of the San Francisco Giants, announced the end of his 22 – year career.  He gathered numerous accolades, including five Cy Young Awards (second to Roger Clemens with 7) and 10 All-Star selections.  His statistics across the board are staggering, with the key pitching stat, strikeouts, he is second all time only to the great Nolan Ryan, 4,875 to Ryan’s 5,714.  Johnson was also only the 24th pitcher ever to collect 300 major league wins with a record of 303 – 166.  He may be the last pitcher to reach 300 wins for quite some time.  The pitcher closest to him is Jamie Moyer, with 258 wins, and 47 years-old.  But Moyer only collected 12 wins last season, and at that pace he would still need 4 more years and be 51.  As for the younger set, Andy Pettitte, 37, has 229 wins and Pedro Martinez, 38, has 219 and neither has enough stuff left to pose a threat to break the mark that would easily take another 6 or 7 years and have both pitchers well in their 40’s.  One factor is virtually certain however, Johnson will be elected to Cooperstown in 2015 on the first ballot.

Speaking of the Hall of Fame, Andre Dawson ended an 8 year wait on the Hall ballot making it 35 years since his minor league debut.  Dawson played 16 of his 21 years with the now departed Expos.  If he goes in as an Expo, he would mark only the second one to enter the Hall, with the first being cather Gary Carter.  Dawson also played with the Cubs and ended his career n 1996 with the Marlins, just missing their first World Series championship by a year. 

Is it getting warmer out yet?  Just a reminder that pitchers and catchers report to spring camp in just over a month, so get ready everybody.  Until next time….

Z_man

Baseball never dies! Off-season report No. 3

Hello again, can anyone tell me if it is winter yet?  Look at all of the snow that has blasted our country.  All over these United States incredible amounts of snow have fallen, and I am lucky enough to currently be in a blizzard warning.  Not to mention that it is freeking cold just about everywhere.   And before I forget, Merry X-mas everybody!

Ok enough about the snow, lets talk baseball.  Yes, even with frigid temperatures and piles of snow, baseball managed to “play-on”.  Two teams have really lit up the off-season report with trades and free-agent signings, and they did not disappoint this week.  The Seattle Mariners and the New York Yankees have made more deals than just about any other teams and each have improved their rosters once again. 

The Seattle Mariners made three more moves this week, after already having added Figgins and Lee to the line-up.  To start with, they acquired Milton Bradley from the Chicago Cubs for right-handed pitcher Carlos Silva and some cash considerations.  Bradley, 31 years old, does not have the best of reputations following him but is recognized an impact player.  Bradley did struggle in 2009 hitting .257 with 12 home runs and 40 RBI’s and was suspended for the final 15 games of the season for detrimental conduct, but was not the only one that struggled though, the Cubs struggled all around.  He does appear to be excited to be in Seattle right now, and if Seattle can stay in the AL West race, he can keep his temper under control, and injury free, the Mariners may have found a steal.  Statistically much could be said about Silva.  He struggled with the Mariners last season, with a 1-3 record, 8.60 ERA in only 30 innings.  Silva has $25 million remaining on his deal – $11.5 million in ‘10 and ‘11 and $2 million option for ‘12.  Bradley is owed $21 million – $9 million in ‘10 and $12 million in ‘11.  Both clubs are hoping that they can turn these two players around, both have shown to be impact players within their past.

Seattle also made a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays.  The Mariners sent relief pitcher Brandon Morrow to the Jays for a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher Brandon League and Minor League outfielder JohermynChavez.  Morrow provides a boost to the Jays pitching rotation having been used both as a closer and starting pitcher last season for Seattle.  He was 2 - 4, with 6 saves in 10 starts and 8 save opportunities with a 4.39 ERA.  Morrow had 63 strike outs last season in 69.2 innings, staggering for any relief pitcher, however also had 44 walks.  For the Mariners, League will likely be used as a late inning set-up man.  In his career with Toronto, League went 7-10 with a 4.09 ERA in 202.3 innings and can hit up to 97 mph on the radar gun. 

The Yankees also made several moves, starting with a 5-player trade completed with the Braves.  New York acquired right-hander Javier Vazquez and left-hander Boone Logan while sending outfielder Melky Cabrera, left-handed pitcher Mike Dunn and Minor league right-hand pitcher Arodys Vizciano and cash to the Braves.  Vazquez is owed $11.5 million for 2010, the final year of his contract, and was an American League All-Star during his one previous year with the Yankees in 2004 when he was 14-10 with a 4.91 ERA.  The 33-year-old was 15-10 with a 2.87 ERA in 32 starts for Atlanta last season, allowing 181 hits while striking out 238 and only walking 44 and finished fourth place for the NL Cy Young Award.  Logan, 25 years old, was 1-1 with a 5.19 ERA in 20 relief appearances last season and looks to move into the Yankee bullpen.  Melky Cabrera, also 25, was the Yankees’ regular center fielder and batted .274 with a career high 13 home runs, 68 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 154 games.  Dunn, 24 years old, is a hard-throwing converted outfielder and Vizcaino, only 19 years old, pitched at Class A Staten Island.  The Yankees also signed another former player, free-agent Nick Johnson to a one-year contract worth $5.5 million with an option for 2011 worth another $5.5 million.  Last season Johnson batted .291 with 8 home runs in 133 games with the Nationals and Marlins and would likely serve mainly as DH for the Yankees.

Speaking of the Nationals, they have shown signs of trying to build up a more relevant team signing two free-agent players themselves, Matt Capps and Jason Marquis.  Marquis, 31 years old, signed a two year deal worth $15 million and is coming off of one of his best seasons, going 15-13 with a 4.04 ERA with the Rockies, and represented Colorado in the All-Star Game.  Capps is expected to make $3.5 million and help the Nationals’ 30th ranked MLB bullpen from last season that posted a 5.09 ERA.  Capps has spent his entire five-year career with the Pirates, collecting 67 saves and a 3.61 ERA. 

Other signings this week include the Angels signing relief pitcher Fernando Rodney, Royals signing outfielder Brian Anderson, Oriolessigning third-baseman Garrett Atkins, and the Athletics resigning starting pitcher Justin Duchscherer.  With the likes of Bay, Beltre, and Matt Holliday in the free-agent pool, expect more action throughout these winter months with only a month and a half remaining until pitchers and catchers are to report to spring camps. 

Z-man

Offseason Baseball – 2: Pitching Feast

Hello all!  This past week was a huge week for many teams as they continue to fill their rosters for the up coming new season, which is just over 100 days away.  The MLB announced this week that the season will start off where it left off, with the New York Yankees on the field.  They will face off against the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park, Sunday night April 4th.  This will make for a can’t miss game, as these two clubs have produced the biggest rivalry the game has ever known.  This event marks the fifth time in six years that the defending World Series champions have played in the season opening game.  This is the second time that the Yankees and Red Sox have matched up in the season opening game.  They matched up in 2005, after the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, yet the Yankees won that game, at home, 9-2.  This is the 30th time that these two clubs have started off the season against each other, and the Yankees hold a 18-10-1 record.  The Red Sox may have the last laugh those as they will also host the Yankees final series of the season as well, in Fenway October 1-3.

Back to the off-season acquisitions, this week was one for the pitchers.  Many have said that games are won and lost by pitching, and every club seems to need more pitching.  This week four of the games top pitchers: Harden, Lee, Halladay, and Lackey all found new homes.

The big deal involved two former Cy Young pitchers and 7 prospects.  The deal included 4 teams and nine players.  Roy Halladay is going to Philadelphia and Cliff Lee is headed to Seattle and just about every top prospect from the Mariners and Phillies were involved.

There is not much that needs to be said about the top two names that most people do not know, being two of the top pitchers over the last few years.  Cliff Lee will join Seattle’s near Cy Young Award winner of 2009, Felix Hernandez at the top of the pitching staff.  Lee won the 2008 AL Cy Young with a 22-3 record, 2.54 ERA in 31 starts.  Last season he split time between the Indians and Phillies.  He was 7-9, with a 3.14 ERA in 22 starts with the struggling Indians until being traded to Philly where he amassed a 7-4 record in only 12 starts and a 3.39 ERA.  Not to mention that he had a phenomenal 4-0 postseason and won two games against the Yankees in a losing effort in the World Series.  Along with King Felix, who was 19-5, with a 2.49 ERA and 217 strikeouts, the Mariners will have arguably the best 1-2 punch in all of baseball.  Roy Halladay is no slouch either, having won 16+ games each of the last 5 seasons with the Blue Jays.  The last two years have looked like this: 17-10 record 2.79 ERA and 208 K for 2009 and 20-11 record and 2.78 ERA and 206 K for 2008.  With numbers like these, it is easy to see why these two clubs gave up so much.

Here is how the deal went down:  The Mariners sent Phillippe Aumont, RHP; Tyson Gillies, OF; and J.C. Ramirez, RHP to the Phillies.  The Phillies then sent Kyle Drabek, RHP; Michael Taylor, OF; and Travis D’Arnaud, C to the Blue Jays.  Michael Taylor then was moved to the Oakland A’s for infielder Brett Wallace.

Rich Harden also found a new home as he was signed by the Texas Rangers.  Harden will receive a base salary of $6.5 million in 2010 with another $3.5 million in incentives that are maximized if he pitches at least 195 innings.  Harden was 9-9 with a 4.09 ERA in 26 starts for the Cubs last season.  In 141 innings, he struck out 171 batters and allowed 67 walks, and a 10.91 strikeout per nine innings which led all National League pitchers.  The Rangers are hoping for numbers closer to his 2008 stats, when he split time between the Athletics and Cubs and went 10-2 with a 2.07 ERA in 25 starts.

And finally the Boston Red Sox added a big name pitcher of their own in John Lackey.  Lackey was considered the best Free-agent pitcher on the market.  The Red Sox took him off the market with a 5 – year $82.5 million contract.  Last season his record was 11-8 in 27 starts with a 3.83 ERA.  He had pitched his entire career for the Angels, for a career 102-71 record and life long 3.81 ERA.  This signing came as a great surprise to all of Red Sox Nation, as there was little mention at all of negotiations by either side.

With all this action, these pitchers with new homes, there is still plenty of excitement left this offseason.  The Lee/Halladay deal has been the largest yet this year, but there are plenty of top notch free-agent players available.  I will help keep you informed on the latest and greatest action in MLB, so until next time….

Z-man