Cubs sign Fukudome

The Cubs have apparently signed Kosuke Fukudome, so we Reds fans will get a nice chance to see this guy play. I first heard about him during the WBC. In my "review" of Japan's roster, I wrote this about him:

Centerfielder Kosuke Fukudome is probably the best-rounded player in their lineup, having hit 0.328/0.430/0.590 with 28 HR's (515 AB's) and 15 steals. He also had a 1.000 fielding percentage and 12 assists from the outfield. Sounds like a 5-tool player to me.

It'll be interesting to see how that translates into performance in MLB. But I think the Cubs just got a nice addition to their outfield.

I have to say, I really liked the WBC, and I'm really looking forward to the next one in '09. Despite the fact that it's held at the wrong time of year, and despite the stupidness of its tiebreaker system, we got to see some great baseball. And what's more, we got a preview of a bunch of Japanese players who are now players in the major leagues: Matsuzaka, Iwamura, recently Kobayashi with the Indians, and now Fukudome.