Netherlands Hope of Seeing More Stars

Even though the Netherlands pulled off one of the most dramatic upsets in international sports history, it doesn't necessarily mean that its players will see additional opportunities to become major leaguers. The Dutch already have 10 players on their 28-man roster who are currently affiliated with big league clubs.

Yes, only one of those players, Rick Vandenhurk of the Florida Marlins, played in the majors last season. Still, I do not expect any of their unsigned players, with the possible exception of former big leaguer Sidney Ponson, to get a contract offer based on their play at the World Baseball Classic.

They have a mix of young guys and older Dutch pros. For example, one of their key players is Rob Cordemans, a 34-year-old pitcher who has played in more than 75 international games. He's a soft-tossing right-hander who isn't going to make any waves in the U.S.

Back in 2006, the Atlanta Braves signed Australian pitcher Pete Moylan after his play in the WBC, but I don't see any unsigned guys like him on this Netherlands team.

But there are some interesting major league prospects among the 10 players who already have signed deals. Of those guys, I like VandenHurk, a right-hander, the most.

He has a really great arm and outstanding stuff, and he's a tremendous competitor on the mound. He's a little too tough on himself sometimes. I think if he knew how good he really is, he could fulfill his potential. I project him as a possible No. 3 starter in the major leagues someday.

I also really like Tom Stuifbergen, a member of the Minnesota Twins' organization. He was injured last year and hasn't pitched higher than the Class A level, but he has good size and the potential to become a mid-to-back end of the rotation starter in the majors.

Greg Halman is someone who intrigues me. He's a 21-year-old outfielder in the Seattle Mariners' organization. Last season, between Class A and Double-A, he hit 29 home runs and stole 31 bases. He runs well for a big guy (6'4") and has the potential to be a very good offensive outfielder. He has been over-matched by the more experienced pitching in the WBC, but his tools are hard to deny.

The Dominican lineup is full of big league hitters, and veterans get their timing early in the season off the fastball and then adjust to off-speed stuff.

A lot of the pitchers on the Netherlands' roster don't throw hard, but can roll the breaking ball in there or throw a changeup that can keep hitters off balance just enough. Because they've rarely trailed in games, it has put pressure on opposing hitters to try to do too much, causing guys to chase pitches out of the zone and in the dirt. That has benefited the Netherlands a great deal.

Still, I think this is a huge boost for baseball in the Netherlands. Victories like this have an exponential impact on the growth of baseball in countries where the game has a lot of room to grow.

Kids will be pretending to be Leon Boyd shutting down David Ortiz or Eugene Kingsale stepping up to the plate, just like generations of American kids have done with their own heroes. It will be a tremendous spark for the growth and development of baseball in the Netherlands and that is a great thing for the sport.