Trades & Signings Around the Pro-Sport World

A few noteworthy trades and trade proposals have occurred in the past few days throughouth the NBA and MLB. Given the fact that the NBA usually has trades near the All-Star break and the MLB is in the offseason, there should be no surprise as to the trades that have been happening lately. The only thing to question is the players, money, and reasons involved with these dealings.

In the NBA, the latest trade included the Charlotte Bobcat's Swingman, Jason Richardson, and the Phoenix Sun's role players, Raja Bell and Boris Diaw. Also involved was Jared Dudley of the Bobcats and Sean Singletary of the Suns, which are two promising young athletes. The trade was a bit unexpected, but it happend at a predictable time. The Suns recieve another athletic scorer in Richardson, which can not only shoot the long ball but drive to the hoop. He was once the Slam Dunk Champion in the 2004 NBA All-Star events, so that says a bit about his ability to "take it to the rack." The Bobcats will be recieving a solid PF/SF player, in Boris Diaw, who is known for his rebounding ability and hustling style of play. Also, Raja Bell is a consistent perimiter shooter that can stretch out the defense for any team in the league. Only time will tell who got the better end of this deal

Now in the MLB, we must speak about the big deals that have been looming across ESPN's headlines. C.C. Sabathia has reportedly agreed to a preliminary deal for 7 years and $161 million with the New York Yankees. This would make him the highest paid pitcher in MLB history (yup "All Time" highest). This brings into question the financial responsibility that the Yankees are practicing. As Florida Marlins President, David Samson, stated, this is deal is "irresponsible" in a time of economic turmoil. Samson went on to say that if everyone is trying to be fiscally responsible then so should sport teams like the Yankees. Other big name deals with big time dollar signs involved Francisco Rodriguez going to the Mets (3 years, $37 million) and Mark Texiera negotiating with the Red Sox (10 years, $20 per year). So much for the struggling American economy and the consideration for those who might not even have a home for the holidays.

In essence, the deals that happend in the past couple of days are eye-opening, not because they occurred, but because of how they occurred. Hopefully, more pro teams and athletes begin to realize that it's inconsiderate and irresponsible for loaded contracts to be dealt during these trying times. The most dangerous league is the MLB, because there is no salary cap and no limit on the amount that a team can spend on any individual athlete.