Matt W Posts

The D'Backs placed Eric Byrnes on the disabled list with sore hamstrings back in May, and after playing in a handful of games in late June, he's back on the sidelines. He's set for an MRI later this week, but even if the results don't point to surgery, D'Backs GM Josh Byrnes admitted that it's looking like the outfielder might be done for the year.

How will the D'Backs fill the hole in their outfield? As if on cue, reporters were quick to ask about Barry Bonds, whom Josh Byrnes refused to deny was a possibility:

"He and maybe a couple of others are sort of sitting out there," Byrnes said. "I think it's a bit of assessing any player's readiness, then knocking somebody out of the lineup, dollars, etc.

"I don't want to talk about him specifically but, believe me, we've considered a lot of options. There is sort of no one obvious option right now, but there are a lot of considerations."

Sure, the D'Backs could fish for options on the trade market, but that'd obviously require giving something up. If Bonds does return this year, it's going to be with a desperate contender -- and considering the D'Backs are sitting exactly at .500 with the Dodgers just a game behind them in the NL West, there probably aren't many teams more desperate than them.

I don't even need to begin to tell you the kind of negative PR that Bonds would bring to the team, but he'd also bring an amazing spark to the lineup. Over the last three years, Bonds hit .333/.591/.593 in 27 at-bats (with 16 walks) at Chase Field.

Just days after the Brewers made a splash by trading for CC Sabathia, the Cubs countered by acquiring an ace of their own, picking up Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin from the A's in exchange for Sean Gallagher, Eric Patterson, Matt Murton, minor leaguer Josh Donaldson and ... wait, that's it? Whoa. Advantage: Cubs.

Harden is obviously a huge injury risk, but no one can dispute that he's one of the most dominant pitchers in the game when healthy. In 13 starts he's been one of the best in the AL this year, posting a 2.34 ERA (1.14 WHIP) while averaging better than 10.7 strikeouts per nine.

And while Gaudin is clearly an afterthought, he's not all that bad himself, capable of eating innings from the bullpen or starting rotation.

What did it cost Chicago? Some intriguing prospects, sure, but absolutely nothing in terms of players capable of helping the Cubs win today.

International Pastime looks at baseball's influence outside the U.S.

While baseball may be extremely popular in Japan and South Korea, it hasn't made much in-roads throughout the rest of the Far East. In fact, according to the New York Times, the sport was actually banned in China by Mao Zedong during the 1960's for being too Western. The sport is now "legal," but despite tens of millions of dollars invested by Major League Baseball to promote the sport (and MLB sending four teams to China to start their season this spring), interest is still low.

That said, with the Olympics being hosted in Beijing, China will in fact field a team. The squad did make its way to American soil to train with would-be big leaguers during the Arizona Fall League this past year, but most of the players are still extremely short on experience. They have an American manager in former big leaguer Jim Lefebvre, but it's been difficult for him to close the cultural gap. From the Times:

When he first addressed his players five years ago, they would not even make eye contact. Most of them came to baseball in their teens after failing to advance in two or three other sports, he said.

Lefebvre, 66, gave an impassioned speech this spring: "We're here to get ready for the Olympics and strength is part of that. You don't order room service and say, 'Hey, send me up some strength.' You have to go and get it yourself. So how many of you want to go lift weights?"

Only one player raised his hand.