Chicago signs Mexican striker Castillo as DP

Soccer Betting Lines

07/17/2010 - Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Fire announced Saturday night they have signed 26-year-old Mexican forward Nery Castillo as a Designated Player.

Chicago announced the signing after its 1-0 loss to the New England Revolution in the SuperLiga at Toyota Park. Castillo has played 21 times for Mexico since 2007, but was not on the FIFA World Cup roster.

"Nery is a young, competitive player who will be a dynamic force on the pitch and we are very excited that he has decided to make the Chicago Fire his new home," said Fire Technical Director Frank Klopas.

Castillo will become available for selection for the Fire upon the receipt of his P1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate. Castillo's first game with Chicago is expected at the Los Angeles Galaxy on Aug. 1.

Castillo will be on loan to Chicago from Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk, with the Fire holding an option to complete a permanent transfer.

During his time with Shakhtar from 2007-09, Castillo helped the team capture the UEFA Cup. Castillo previously had loan spells with England's Manchester City and Ukraine's FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.

"I'm very happy to be joining the Fire, which is a club that I feel embodies the same values that I have as a player," Castillo said. "When I put on a Fire jersey for the first time, my commitment to the fans and to my club will be to score goals, contribute on the pitch and win."

Per MLS and club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Sportt Soccer Betting News

<< Columbus downs New York to extend lead in East
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Emilio Renteria and Brian Carroll scored and the Columbus Crew bounced back from a mid-week loss to beat Red Bull New York, 2-0, on Saturday night at Crew Stadium. Renteria scored in the 20th minute and Carr

<< Kim bests McDaniel for U.S. Amateur Publinx title
Greensboro, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lion Kim defeated David McDaniel, 6 & 5 in Saturday's 36-hole final of the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Bryan Park. There was a nearly seven-hour weather delay, but, at 9:06 p.m. (et)

<< Brignac belts two homers as Rays top Yankees
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Reid Brignac notched his first career multi-homer game, blasting two and driving in a career-high five in the Rays' 10-5 win over the Yankees in the second of three games. Brignac had just three career hom

<< Wainwright strong as Cards blank Dodgers
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Skip Schumaker's run-scoring double in the fourth inning backed Adam Wainwright's solid performance on the mound, as the St. Louis Cardinals snuck past the Los Angeles Dodgers, 2-0, in a pitchers' duel at

<< Tournament host McCarron leads Reno-Tahoe Open
Reno, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tournament host Scott McCarron posted a five-under 67 on Saturday to move atop the leaderboard after the third round of the Reno- Tahoe Open. McCarron finished 54 holes at 10-under 206 and is one stroke ahead at M

Johnson, Paulino lift Marlins in shutout of Nats >>
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ronny Paulino hit a two-run single in the bottom of the second inning, and the Florida Marlins posted a 2-0 victory over Washington in the second test of a three-game series at Sun Life Stadium. Florida

Pavano tosses another complete game in Twins' win over ChiSox >>
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carl Pavano threw his fourth complete game of the season, outpitching Mark Buehrle to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Target Field. Pavano (11-6), who had ne

Bautista's homer pushes Blue Jays over Orioles >>
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jose Bautista hit a two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning, lifting the Toronto Blue Jays over the Baltimore Orioles, 3-2, in the second test of a three-game set at Camden Yards. Fred Lewis h

Hart and Fielder lead Brewers over Braves >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Corey Hart's three-run double punctuated a five-run seventh inning, as the Milwaukee Brewers doubled up the Atlanta Braves, 6-3, in the third test of a four-game series at Turner Field. Prince Field

A's rally to slip past Royals >>
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Adam Rosales drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the top of the ninth inning, as the Oakland Athletics rallied past the Kansas City Royals, 6-5, in the second test of a three-game series at Kauffma

FOOTBALL BETTING : Crabtree's base deal: six years, $32 million

Football Betting

In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.

And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.

Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.

So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.

Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)

The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.

As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.

The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.

In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.

Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.

And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.

So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.

There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.

So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.

And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.

There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)

Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.

Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.

Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.

So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.

NFL Betting Lines

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.