On Wednesday the Cubs introduced Kosuke Fukudome to the Chicago Media.

Fukudome batted .351 with 31 homers and 104 RBI en route to winning the 2006 Central League Most Valuable Player award with the Chunichi Dragons.

“After I declared my free agency, the Cubs were one of the only teams that were trying to get me from the beginning to the end,” Fukudome said through an interpreter.

“I felt they really, really wanted me and they promised me I could play my position in right field.”

Its difficult to say just how well Fukudome will play in the MLB; His career is definitely off to a very high profile start, which could be a good or bad thing. Also in Japan Fukudome underwent season ending surgery for his elbow, he may not be 100% when the season begins for the Cubbies. However Fukudome was tagged as the, “Best free agent,” by Cubs general manager Jim Hendry, such high praise wouldn’t go undeserved.

Also in baseball the Los Angeles Dodgers introduced Hiroki Kuroda to the media on Tuesday.

“We’ve been thinking about this for well over a year,” general manager of the dodgers, Ned Colletti said a day after Kuroda agreed to a three-year, $35.3 million contract. “Our expectation is he’s going to be a real solid pitcher for us, make a lot of starts, pitches a lot of innings.”