World Baseball Classic: Players to watch

February 25, 10:10 AMMLB ExaminerAlex Brown

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AP Photo/Kena Betancur

The 2009 World Baseball Classic rosters have been announced, and there's some interesting player stories from around the globe.

Here's a look at some of the players you should be watching during this tournament:

• Ivan Rodriguez, C, Puerto Rico:  Rodriguez is one of baseball’s best all-time catchers, but he finds himself without a job this offseason.  He still believes he can handle the majority of a team's catching duties, and will use the World Baseball Classic to prove he can still play.  He has been linked to the Marlins, Astros, and Mets this offseason.
• Pedro Martinez, P, Dominican Republic:  Pedro is also a free agent looking for a new team for 2009.  He has shown that he still has a bit left to contribute, but hasn’t been able to stay healthy or pitch deep into games for some time now.  Like Rodriguez, Pedro will be looking to prove something to major league teams during the WBC.
• Corey Koskie, 3B, Canada:  Koskie is attempting a major-league comeback after suffering a serious concussion in 2006.  At that point it was unlikely Koskie would ever lead a normal life again, let alone play baseball.  If he hits well during the WBC, a major-league team might invite him to spring training.
• Yu Darvish, P, Japan:  Darvish is supposedly Japan’s next big pitcher, though it can be hard to tell sometimes due to cloudy scouting reports.  He is rumored to want to come to MLB, but has stated a desire to win 200 games in Japan first.  We saw this with the first WBC when Daisuke Matsusaka took the world by storm and came to MLB next season.
• Che-Hsaun Lin, OF, Chinese Taipei:  Lin, an outfielder in the Red Sox system, was MVP of the 2008 Futures Game.  He ranks as the best Asian prospect in North America.  
• Bernie Williams, OF, Puerto Rico:  Yep, that Bernie Williams.  The former Yankee center fielder and playoff legend Bernie Williams is back on the playing field.  I can’t believe he’s auditioning for a big league job, but more likely just playing for the love of the game.

The WBC is quickly becoming one of my favorite baseball tournaments.  With story lines lines like these, who says there's no reason to watch?